The 10-day-old kittens were living with about two dozen other cats in a trash-filled house on Third Avenue until Wednesday when the homeowners agreed to leave and permitted rescuers to remove the cats, according to city officials and volunteers helping with the rescue effort.
A day after their rescue, the kittens accompanied veterinarian Dr. Becky Morrow to her classes at Duquesne University, where Morrow bottle-fed the kittens every four hours while teaching molecular biology and physiology.
On Friday, the kittens were reunited with the mother cat — one of the scared stragglers caught in wire traps baited with tuna fish and cat food.
All the rescued cats are either staying with foster families or at the New Kensington-based Frankie's Friends Cat Rescue until they find permanent homes.
Morrow said all 24 cats — nearly half of them kittens — that had were removed as of Friday afternoon were underweight and most had skin problems from fleas, malnutrition and the unhealthy environment.
“They definitely have medical issues,” she said. “Mainly it's exposure to the environment, urine soaking into their fur. One kitty, every paw has wounds on it. One had eye problems.”
The three youngest cats may be in the best condition since they were still nursing and being cared for by the mother, Morrow said.
Eyes barely open, the kittens huddled together in a pink towel, smudges of dirt on their feet the only overt sign of their ordeal.
Complicated rescue
Volunteers from Frankie's Friends and other cat rescue groups will continue to check the traps inside the house a few times per day. Six cats were captured Friday morning; volunteers believe at least a couple more still were inside.
The rescue effort was complicated by a large amount of debris, garbage and waste piled on all three floors of the house, according to Morrow and Lisa Kalmeyer, a Frankie's Friends board member.
The debris — in some places stacked within a few feet of the ceiling — provided hiding places for the cats and made it difficult for volunteers to maneuver.
Morrow and Kalmeyer donned respirators and white, plastic coveralls Thursday evening to protect themselves from any hazardous materials and the potent smell of ammonia from cat urine.
Using a headlamp and flashlight, the women worked in 15-minute intervals to check and reset the traps. They took frequent breaks outside to cool off, air out and chug water.
Seeing the commotion, neighbors periodically stopped to inquire about the status of the cats and house.
Arnold Code Enforcement Officer Rick Rayburg said the house has not been condemned, but will be posted as unfit for human habitation once the cats are removed.
Rayburg said he'd checked on the homeowners, a married couple in their 60s, in the past, but they always refused help.
Until recently, there were no obvious code violations outside and Rayburg said he did not have standing to go inside.
From the sidewalk in front of the white-sided house, there were no obvious signs of the deterioration inside on Thursday.
But when the rescuers opened the front door, a strong smell of ammonia drifted out and garbage bags could be seen piled knee-high in the entryway.
Police Chief Shannon Santucci-Davis said the situation worsened when the residents began stacking debris behind their home.
She said water service no longer was connected and the couple appeared to be collecting rain water; it was unclear if any other utilities were connected.
A neighbor who declined to be identified said she feared the house was a fire hazard for the couple and the adjacent houses that are only a few feet away.
Rescue efforts documented
Rayburg said the couple is no longer living there. They are being assisted by their adult children, who have expressed an interest in trying to clean up the property and make it habitable again.
“I think they finally understand they need some help,” Rayburg said of the homeowners.
The couple could not be reached for comment.
Rayburg said they have not been cited for any code violations. Santucci-Davis said they could be cited if they return to the house while it is posted as unsafe.
Santucci-Davis and Morrow said they will review the evidence once all the cats are removed and discuss whether animal cruelty charges are warranted.
Morrow said she's not necessarily interested in seeing the homeowners prosecuted, but wants to ensure they don't continue to keep animals in unhealthy conditions.
She said volunteers are documenting the rescue efforts, including a cat carcass found inside.
Morrow said she and the volunteers will concentrate on removing all the cats, getting them healthy and finding them new families.
Despite the poor living conditions, Morrow said the cats are friendly and she expects them to rebound quickly.
“They need fresh air and time to heal,” she said.
(Tribune-Review - Sept 4, 2015)
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