73 cats rescued from North Huntingdon home up for adoption at New Kensington shelter

More than 70 cats rescued from a house in North Huntingdon are being cared for at Frankie’s Friends, a cat rescue in New Kensington.

It did not appear anyone was living in the house on Leger Road where the cats were found, Dr. Becky Morrow, medical director and president of Frankie’s Friends, said Friday.

“Someone was supposedly coming to take care of the cats,” she said. “They didn’t even know how many cats there were.”

The house was full of cat waste. Morrow said animal rescuers had to wear respirators when they went inside. Fecal matter had dried in layers on the floors.

“The ammonia levels were very high from the urine,” Morrow said. “There was basically waste everywhere. It was there for a long time.”

Cans of cat food sat on the porch of the dilapidated home Friday afternoon. A light and ceiling fan were on inside, but there was no answer at the door. A stench was noticeable on the porch as bugs hovered and bags of trash laid near a set of steps. No one answered the door at a neighboring home.

No charges had been filed in the case as of Friday, and North Huntingdon police were still investigating along with the Westmoreland County Humane Society, Patrolman Ted Kukich said. Those agencies and the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office will determine charges, he said.

Kukich did not identify the owner and would not divulge how authorities became aware of the cat hoard.

“We are still in the preliminary stages,” he said.

Morrow said the owner voluntarily surrendered the cats to Frankie’s Friends.

A total of 73 cats were seized over the past week-and-a-half through the execution of two search warrants, Morrow said. Most of the cats were found inside the house, but some were outside. Most are adults.

“We went in expecting 20,” Morrow said. “We’re a bit overcrowded now.”

Cats were found throughout the house. Morrow said she saw three up in rafters, and kittens were found inside a couch.

Eight dead kittens were found, and there was evidence that other cats had been eating them.

A kitten and an adult cat, both close to death, had to be euthanized, Morrow said.

Rescuers thought the small kitten was already dead, but then it lifted its head up.

“We tried to give her fluids and emergency care,” Morrow said. “She was not well enough to save.”

Morrow said it appeared the cats had been in the house for about three years and were breeding there. Most are black-and-white and look alike.

The surviving cats are thin from a lack of proper nutrition, and had been suffering from a severe flea infestation, Morrow said. The fleas may have led to the deaths of the kittens by causing blood loss.

Cats friendly, ready for adoption

Despite what they went through, Morrow said the cats are sociable and friendly. They have been getting rehabilitated and receiving veterinary care, including being spayed or neutered and treated for parasites. They’ll be ready for adoption in about a week.

Morrow said Frankie’s Friends usually charges nominal fees for cat adoptions — $75 for adults and $100 for kittens. She said the fees may be reduced so the rescued cats can get into new homes.

Frankie’s Friends already had about 60 cats in its care.

“I just need to get them out of here,” she said. “We need to get them moved. They need to be in homes that aren’t falling apart around them, poor kids.”

The house is being condemned, she said.

Staff writer Renatta Signorini contributed.