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Bizarre cat rescue underway in the village

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

(New York -WABC, April 12, 2006) (WABC) -- A rather bizarre rescue is underway tonight, a rescue that you've not likely seen before. A kitten named Molly is trapped inside the wall of a deli. Trapped for nearly two weeks, and getting her out is not as easy as you might think.

The deli is in Greenwich Village and that's where Kemberly Richardson is.

The last time anyone heard Molly's cries was this morning at about 9:00 a.m. They were loud and clear, but no one has seen the black kitten since she disappeared 12 days ago. Now a full on rescue is underway and it seems to be catching.

Mike Pastore, Animal Care and Control: "We can put a man on the moon, but there's a cat that seems to be about four or five feet away. We got to pull this one off."

It's a delicate operation centering around a British gourmet shop and a cat named Molly who once called a basket inside home.

Elena Salvana, Store Employee: "We obviously miss her because we don't see her. We have customers who come here, straight to the basket."

They've tried drilling, leaving catnip, food. The fire department sprayed water, police, volunteers, but still no kitten. Animal rescue crews are now using a camera mounted on the end of a pipe to at least try and pinpoint exactly where Molly is, but they face many obstacles, including the structural integrity of the landmark building.

Mike Pastore, Animal Care and Control: "You can't just take a sledgehammer to the side of the wall here. You could break part of the foundation and that's bad news. Gas pipes, electrical wires, water pipes."

One wrong move could create a bigger problem. They've heard her cries, but aren't sure if something is blocking Molly's escape route.

How the kitten got into this predicament is also a bit of a mystery.

Mike Pastore, Animal Care and Control: "He allegedly went right into the gap between the buildings. There's about a six inch gap there, and made a right turn into one of the buildings because there was a couple of bricks missing."

For now it's baby steps: chipping away at the wall with a hammer and chisel. A community that's rallied behind Molly and hoping she's simply being shy and will come out soon.

Kerry Kinnard, Neighbor: "Everybody has a cat or a dog and everybody's had a pet at one point. If it was their pet they would want it to be okay."

The main concern is that Molly could be dehydrated. Also, all of this noise and activity may actually be scaring the kitten. The good news is that rescue crews tells us that they've found cats alive who've been without food or water for three weeks.

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