A British couple are fighting to liberate their nine remaining cats from Belgian authorities days after one was killed by officials.
The group were being transported from Qatar, where Melda and Steve Ozel used to live, to their new home in Powys, North Wales when the Belgian authorities seized them.
On February 25, the Ozels received the devastating news that their cat Hugo had been euthanised.
The feline had been held by the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FAVV) in Belgium since Valentine's Day alongside nine other cats.
After days of bitter legal wrangling, the couple remain terrified the surviving, increasingly unwell animals could also be put down before they can be flown out of the country.
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"Today is day 15 of our cats' captivity," said Melda, a civil engineer.
"Hugo was a happy, healthy cat when he was put on the plane on 14 Feb.
"We have been extremely worried about the well-being of our other 9 cats and were not allowed to see them despite my husband visiting the facilities yesterday.
"To this day, the cats have not been released and are being held hostage by FAVV in what can only be described as an unlawful power play – or a demonstration of ineptitude to baffled law abiding cat lovers."
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For the past four year the Ozels lived in Qatar, a country where cats do not share the same revered status as in the UK.
After being "shocked by the treatment" of cats they encountered, the couple decided to start rescuing those they found battered and abused on the streets of Doha.
By the time they decided to come back to the UK, Melda and Steve had amassed a litter of 40 cats.
In order to transport the animals to their newly constructed Madcatters' Haven shelter in Snowdonia they had to be flown back in batches of five.
Twenty of the moggies successfully made the journey from Qatar to Belgium and then on to Wales, before the couple encountered difficulties on February 14.
Two friends of the couple, who had agreed to ferry the felines, were stopped in Brussels by border police, with one pal hauled in for four hours of questioning.
"She was repeatedly accused of trying to smuggle 10 cats into Belgium for sale," Melda claimed.
"She showed the paperwork, she said repeatedly she was not the owner (Steve was waiting for his cats outside) and she was only one of the two flight buddies.
"They didn't listen and the cats were confiscated.
"The flight buddies were not given any documentation on where the cats were being taken and what the reason for the confiscation was."
The Ozels heard nothing until three days later, when they were informed the cats were seized because they were not accompanied by enough humans.
They hired animal welfare lawyer Anthony Godfroid who attempted to have the cats released through the court system.
After days of legal wrangling the Administrative Court of Belgium ruled that the cats should be sent back to Qatar.
The couple accepted the decision and were preparing to fly with the felines when they received some unwelcome news.
Melda said: "Our lawyer received communication from them stating that one of our cats was too sick, a decision was made on the spot and he was euthanized.
"I didn't want to believe it. I was quite shocked."
The shock death made the couple more determined to save the surviving nine.
Fifteen days into the cats' arrest the Ozels have yet to clap eyes on them.
Today the cats are due to be flown back to Qatar, where Steve hopes to be able to intercept them.
With the felines in an increasingly poor state in captivity, Mr Godfroid said, the couple are worried they won't make it.
Now Melda just has to wait, "extremely scared that we won't see any of them alive again."
The FAVV has been contacted for comment.
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