|
      |
Cats in crisis By Julian Walker The clan of scrappy strays, estimated to number 70 of varying age, breed and health, soon will be moved to make way for ongoing development at the site. In place of their wooded shelter will be the Shops at Whitman Square, a commercial complex being built on a 36-acre parcel that once housed the former Whitman Chocolate Co. plant, among other industrial tenants. Construction on the site — which will include a Lowe’s home-improvement store, Wal-Mart and several other name commercial tenants — began last year. The first stores are expected to open at the complex this fall, with other openings staggered into early next year. To make way for that progress, the cat colony’s cloister — a combination of natural overgrowth and makeshift shelters loosely erected by folks who frequently feed them — will have to be moved. Concerned for the cats, a handful of local animal activists last week demonstrated at the construction site in hopes of convincing the developer to consider the toll on the tabbies and others. A representative with the Goldenberg Group, the project developer, assured those folks that the cats would be spared and new homes would be found for them. Satisfied that the cats’ nine lives aren’t in danger, the felines’ friends wanted to know how and where the cats will be accommodated. “There are seventy adults and five babies here,” said Castor Gardens resident Alaine Jacobson, founder of the non-profit Animals In Crisis Inc. “Four after this,” she continued, lofting a furry black kitten in her hands before placing it inside a pet carrier. “This is a very pristine, clean, neat area for this family of cats that is all interrelated. I’ve put up these shelters and been feeding these cats for the last five years,” Jacobson noted, pointing to some disposable aluminum baking pans filled with cat food and water situated on the ground. Unaware that workers employed by Goldenberg, a Blue Bell-based commercial development firm, were involved with demolitions and grading in the area of the cats’ habitat, animal activists initially contacted the Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. about the issue but claim their calls were rebuffed. Calls placed to seek comment from Smurfit-Stone, on whose property at 9820 Blue Grass Road the colony roams and lives, went unanswered. More recently, the activists learned the Goldenberg Group controls the development project, and contacted officials with the company. In attendance at the July 6 protest was Goldenberg Group spokesman Greg Reeves, offering assurances that the cats will be spared. “We’ve been trying to accommodate this situation,” said Reeves. “We’ve talked with this group over the last couple months to find a solution. There have been a few misunderstandings, but our goal is not to harm the cats.” Whatever that resolution will be, it will have to come quickly, added Reeves, as work on two buildings (Famous Footwear and Office Max) on the site of the colony is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks. “These cats have to be moved soon because construction is moving forward. Hopefully we’ll come up with a solution quickly and implement it within the next week or so,” he said. Like Reeves, animal activist Barbara Riebman is optimistic about the future of the colony. “The Goldenberg Group is working with us toward a positive outcome. And we’re praying for one, but we’re continuing to ask for community support on this issue,” said Riebman, who, along with Jacobson, was active in protesting the Fairmount Park Commission’s use of lethal methods to thin deer herds in city parks. “Hopefully this will be resolved with community support and corporate support.” •• For more information about the cat colony preservation and other local animal
rights issues, call 1-866-6ANIMALS. |
| about us | no declaw | community outreach | adoption | products | rescue information |
|
©2005-2012 Animals in Crisis, Inc. phone: Lanie 215.535.1666 |