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Cat Rescued After Allegedly Being Locked in NYCHA Apartment After Owner Dies

What to Know

  • Cat allegedly locked inside NYCHA apartment after its owner died was lucky to escape with at least one of its nine lives
  • The story begins with neighbors on Linden Street in Bushwick who realized the woman who used to live here had passed away
  • On Monday night, the cat was rescued from the locked apartment after efforts made by neighbors

An unwitting cat locked inside a NYCHA apartment in Brooklyn after its owner died was lucky to escape with at least one of its nine lives after quite an ordeal.

The story begins with neighbors on Linden Street in Bushwick who realized the woman who used to live here had passed away.

“The smell was so bad, so we had to call. They came and knocked the door down. They took her out and then they left the door open. Some hazmat guys came and they threw some kind of chemical in there,” neighbor Javier Rosario said.

The grim discovery was made a couple of weeks ago, but soon after came the meowing.

Unbeknownst to most in the apartment building, their neighbor had a cat – a furry friend who ended up getting trapped in the sealed apartment.

Thankfully, animal lovers lived close by and posted about the cat’s plight on Instagram – which also garnered the attention of City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who according to one of the posts played a part in the cat's rescue.

They also snuck food into the apartment in an effort to help the little feline friend out.

“Because I am an animal lover, I went to the new people who took over NYCHA,” neighbor Carol Zeak said, recounting the numerous times she says she went to NYCHA officials to try to get help.

The ordeal was truly a neighborhood affair. Zeak and Rosario said they called everyone they could think of – NYCHA, NYPD, ASPCA, local lawmakers – and finally, after all that hard work and charity, the cat was rescued from the apartment.

The NYPD made the official rescue Monday night.

Finally, the orange cat found itself in the safe arms of those in blue and is hopefully headed for a new home – as the cute feline is up for adoption.

News 4 reached out to Johnson, NYPD, FDNY and NYCHA for comment.

Yes, New York City may be a big loud place, but at times it just takes a little meowing to bring everyone together.

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