Doubtful this is really about the cats. The woman obviously has unresolved issues with her father and if she hasn't let them go in 50 years probably never will. I could understand if he abused her, in any fashion, but surrendering cats to the pound doesn't even constitute abuse of the cats, let alone her. 
Anyone remember the Smothers Brothers TV show where at some time in the show one would blast the other with " Mother all way liked you better then me"
Familys do have long standing problems, some that rip the familys into fractions for 50 years or more.
Rather then get down to facts, it is easy to find another reason for dislike of a family member. Uncle bill shot my dog, later he put me through college, but I will never forget he shot my dog.
I have not talked to my sister as she a straight A student got a car for graduation and when I a C- student got $500.00 --Been 15 years but I still have never forgiven my parents.[ not me an acquaintence]
Then there are the kids that move away from home leaving the old folk with just one child to care for them. After 30 years the parents die and leave all to the one child that was for them day and night for 30 years.
Syblings fight the will and the lawyers get 3/4 the estate.
Worse is the parents die and split the estate amoung all kids including those that they have not seen in 20 years. The Care givers for 30 years promissed by parents for all these years of care to be their heir, find out, parents lied just to insure one child would care for them.
Now please dont give me the crap of children should give up their lives to care for ageing parents expecting nothing in return. To give up lives, Carears, perhaps marriage to take over the duties of their syblings to find the parent lied to them and they are not placed in valuable more then the sysblings that stayed away for 20 years.
So better to blame all this on the Cat taken to a shelter. To face reality is difficult 50 years after an event, hard to face reality tomorrow Morning.