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Dying kitten on mend after rescue from derelict house

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A tiny kitten who was on the verge of death has been safely rescued by the RSPCA and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service from a derelict boarded-up house - after worried neighbours reported hearing her “screaming the street down” in the days before being found.

Credit: RSPCA

The emaciated kitten was extremely weak when the RSPCA and the fire service prised off the door from the crumbling building in Stonehill Street, Liverpool, on Saturday.

Credit: RSPCA

She was found huddled in a corner in the house’s kitchen, soaking wet from heavy rainfall after the house’s roof had caved in.

Credit: RSPCA

RSPCA inspector Helen Smith said:

When we got there we could hear her outside the house but we didn’t know at first what animal it was, whether it was a dog or a cat. Her cries were so loud and when we finally saw her, I couldn’t believe that an animal so small was making such a loud noise. She was crying for her life.

Neighbours had reported hearing her ‘screaming the street down’. She was desperately in distress and being emaciated and wet-through as well, she was not in a good state at all.

– RSPCA inspector Helen Smith

The four-week-old kitten - who has been named Cleo - was immediately taken to a vet, where she has started to make a good recovery following her ordeal.

We think she had been there for at least four days. What we think happened was that her mum had been living in the house when she gave birth, and when she moved on she left poor little Cleo behind.

She has something wrong with her eye but we think it is more an injury rather than anything medical, as the vet pulled out a piece of chipboard from her eye while she was being examined. We are hopeful that her eye will fully recover.

It was a really good rescue with the best possible outcome. The crew from the fire service were fantastic, and we’d also like to thank the 10-year-old boy who called us after hearing Cleo crying - without his call, she certainly would have perished all alone and cold in this derelict house.

– RSPCA inspector Helen Smith

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service Station Manager Sean McGuinness said:

We were happy to be able to assist the RSPCA in rescuing this kitten and bringing her to safety.

We would encourage anyone who has concerns about animal welfare to contact the RSPCA in the first instance. We have specialist equipment which we can use to assist partners should they need our help.

Hopefully this little kitten will now make a full recovery and find herself a happy, forever home.

– Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service Station Manager Sean McGuinness

Cleo will shortly be going into foster care, where she will be cared for until she is old enough to be rehomed.

  • To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit www.rspca.org.uk/give.