NEW YORK (UPI) -- A woman accused of stealing a New York cat refused a deal to keep her out of jail, saying she feels she was in the right because the cat appeared abused.

Nancy Glassman appeared Wednesday in Manhattan Criminal Court and declined the deal offered by prosecutors, which would have dismissed the charges in six months if she avoided further legal trouble, the New York Post reported Thursday.

Glassman said she encountered the cat, Cosmo, at the Bagels & Co. shop Sept. 22.

"I see the cat walk from these huge filthy dusty bags in the corner and this guy brooms him to the side," she said. I saw this abuse then saw the cat's ears and thought what's wrong with him? This cat has a massive infection and needs help.

Glassman took the cat to Animal Care and Control NYC. She said a pair of detectives soon visited her North Woodmere, N.Y., home and asked her to come down to the precinct and identify the cat.

"They tricked me and when I got there they started reading me my rights," she said.

Glassman spent the night in a holding cell before being arraigned on a burglary charge, which she said she will fight in court.

"I don't believe I did anything wrong," she said outside the courthouse. The whole world is saying how can we stop abuse, how can we stop the Adam Lanzas of the world but no one wants to get involved. I thought he needed help so I helped. It was automatic.

A veterinarian determined the cat's sores and large ears were the result of a congenital defect and not caused by neglect. The animal was returned to his owner.

Copyright 2014 by United Press International