Delaware police have arrested two sisters after finding the remains of their mother's body in a plastic storage container, which was hidden in a house filled with more  than 100 cats.

Candy, 43, and Pamela Haas, 48, voluntarily turned themselves in Tuesday afternoon and were charged with abusing a corpse, conspiracy and cruelty to animals, according to Capt. Lester Boney of the Dover Police Department.

The sisters admitted putting their mother's remains inside the plastic container, Boney said.

Police said the reason for the suspects' alleged actions is still under investigation. The Haas sisters, who had allegedly told police their mother was "traveling," were arraigned Tuesday and released on bond.

Police discovered the body of Mary Haas, 84, after responding to complaints of an unsavory smell coming from the family's Dover home.

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When officers arrived the first time, they found more than 100 cats and three dogs swarming the residence. An officer notified Pamela Haas, who lived with her mother, that they had one week to clean up. Police returned with City of Dover Inspections Dept., the Health Dept. and the SPCA on July 6 to find that no effort had been made to clean the house.

Pamela Haas turned herself in with her sister, police said.

Authorities condemned the house and Pamela was sent to live in a shelter. Boney said the cats were found unhealthy and were euthanized, while the dogs have been housed with a local veterinarian.

When police were unable to locate the mother, they issued a missing person's report.

When officers returned July 10 to capture and euthanize the remaining cats, they discovered the decomposed remains in a plastic storage container.

"They couldn't tell if it was male or female," Boney said.

An autopsy showed no signs of trauma and identified the body to be female. The cause of death remains under investigation.

Boney said police are still talking to family and neighbors about the last time they saw Haas.

"The neighbors are shocked," he said. "And I don't think they realized how many animals were in that house."

Neighbors said the sisters mostly kept to themselves and the mother had not been seen in about a year.

"There were days when it would make you gag," said neighbor Donald Merchant.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.