WILLOUGHBY, Ohio -- A Willoughby man was sentenced to 45 days in jail for locking his cat in a closet of his Bowling Green apartment, where it starved to death.

Joshua Pulford, 19, of Union Street, pleaded no contest Monday before Bowling Green Municipal Court Judge Mark Reddin.

Court officials said Pulford aopted the cat from the Wood County Humane Society last year. On Dec. 2, he moved out of the apartment and left the cat behind, locked in a closet without food.

The Humane Society filed a complaint in Bowling Green Municipal Court against Pulford. On Monday, Judge Reddin accepted Pulford's plea and found him guilty of one count of cruelty to animals.

Pulford will serve his time in the Wood County Justice Center Jail and be placed on five years' probation upon his release. He must also complete 240 hours of community service and make restitution of $182 to the humane society.

The judge ruled that he may not own or live with any animals of any kind. He must also undergo a mental health evaluation.