Levindale Employees Rescue Cat

A mother cat in labor got a happy ending yesterday, thanks to a group of quick-thinking Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital employees.

Constance Harris, a patient accounting representative at Levindale, was outside on a break when she saw security guards and employees by a sewer grate on W. Belvedere Avenue, which bisects the Levindale and Sinai Hospital campus. The group was trying to lure out a female cat. Eventually Constance herself crawled into the grate, petted the cat, and lifted her out to safety.

Twenty minutes later, in the Levindale patient accounting office, the mama cat – christened Mitzvah – started having contractions. The first kitten was born at 2:58 p.m., with the next three following at 3:20 p.m., 3:59 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. They were named Belvedere, Levi (for Levindale), Ron (for Levindale past president Ron Rothstein) and Kay (which is Harris’ middle name).

“I’m going to foster them until they are weaned and we can find them homes,” Harris says. She took them to their first veterinary appointment Thursday afternoon, and the cats will all be vaccinated and spayed before being adopted out to their “forever homes.”

“She did real good, she’s a good mother,” says patient accounting representative Lee Harper, who took the quintet home Wednesday evening. Constance has promised to bring the cats back on Fridays so the other Levindale employees can visit and help the kittens become socialized.

Levindale is no stranger to animals bringing joy to employees and residents. Dogs, cats, and birds live at Levindale as part of the Eden Alternative approach to care.

For more information, call Levindale at 410-601-2400.