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Nursing cat left at Fishtown Animal Hospital; kittens still missing
A 7-month-old cat was left outside Fishtown Animal Hospital on East Girard Avenue on Wednesday. The cat, named Cortana, is a nursing mom and her kittens are missing.
PHILADELPHIA - A 7-month-old cat was abandoned in a carrier on the front steps of Fishtown Animal Hospital on East Girard Avenue late Wednesday morning, and staff are now searching for her missing kittens.
Surveillance video shows woman leaving cat outside hospital
What we know:
Veterinarian Dr. Allison Newth said a woman was seen on surveillance video walking up Crease Street next to the hospital and leaving the cat in the cold in a carrier. The cat was discovered by a lab courier who noticed movement inside the carrier while picking up labs.
A brown bag with a note was attached to the carrier, reading, "Please help me. I am a stray that belongs in a home with no other kitties. I think I am pregnant. Hugs and purrs. Lil Kitty."
Hospital staff named the cat Cortana. Dr. Newth said, "It was only by luck she was found by our lab courier who was coming up the stairs and actually leaned down to pick up labs and found there was movement inside this carrier."
Cortana is a nursing mom, but her kittens are missing
X-rays showed Cortana is not pregnant, but she is a nursing mom who recently had kittens, according to Dr. Newth. The hospital has no information about the location of her kittens, since the woman who left her did not come inside or provide any details.
Dr. Newth said, "A simple phone call or just to step into the hospital to clear things up and potentially save some lives. We are still not sure where those kittens are." She added, "If the person who dropped her off had given us a 3-block radius in which she'd seen the cat, we would have been able to send people there. A simple address would have gone a long way."
The hospital is asking anyone with information about the kittens to reach out
Fishtown Animal Hospital is not a shelter, but it works closely with Fishtails Animal Rescue and can direct people to the right resources for homeless pets. Dr. Newth said the front desk staff are experienced in helping people find proper resources.
Cortana is now safe and adjusting to indoor life. Dr. Newth said, "She's adjusting to indoor life that suggests she is definitely used to people. She's a very sweet girl."
Cortana will be placed in a foster home and put up for adoption, with hopes she will be reunited with her kittens and find a permanent family.
What we don't know:
It is still unclear where Cortana’s kittens are or if they are safe. The identity of the woman who left the cat is also unknown.
The Source: Information from Fishtown Animal Hospital and Dr. Allison Newth.