The strange noises coming from within the walls of a previously abandoned house in Philadelphia weren’t ghostly, but rather feline — as a contractor working on the building found out recently.
After the new house owners heard meowing, the contractor started opening a wall and a kitten fell out, according to an ABC Action 6 News report. The contractor eventually found 15 more cats trapped inside and it took him eight hours to get them all out.
“We’re so glad he did, as quite a few aren’t in great shape, and sadly, one of the kittens was not able to be saved,” Animal Care and Control Team (ACCT) Philly wrote in a Facebook post in June announcing the rescue.
The city-contracted rescue organization took in the rescued felines, sharing photos of the nine adult cats and seven kittens when they first arrived.
ACCT Philly said they were covered in urine and feces, and the kittens looked newly born. Although one kitten died, the rest were placed in foster homes to be hand-fed and cared for until they are big enough for adoption.
Shelter staff quickly fed, watered and vaccinated the adult cats, who will be neutered or spayed before adoption. Some of the names given to the grown cats that appear in captions on the rescue photos and in the CBS Philly report include Joanna, Figs, Medjool, Charmed and Hydra.
A week later, ACCT Philly posted an update in a comment on the original post, saying the cats were doing well. “The kittens are in foster care, and the adults are at the shelter settling in. Some are a bit more scared than others but all are clean and comfy, and hopefully will find fosters or adopters soon,” the photo caption said.
The cats may have gotten into the walls through a hole that was later closed up during the home’s renovation, trapping them inside. Sarah Barnett with ACCT told CBSN Philly that cats would find an unused house with a safe space in the walls the “perfect shelter” where they could go in and out. That is, until the wall was closed. NBC 10 reported the cats had probably been trapped inside for about five days and probably wouldn’t have lasted much longer.
The Philly rescue organization says it’s always in need of more foster and adoptive families for kittens as well as donations of food, supplies and money. We’re so glad this little group was saved by caring people!
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