Bridgeville cat rescue takes in dozens of malnourished cats

BRIDGEVILLE, Pa. — A Bridgeville-based cat rescue says it has taken in dozens of cats from an Altoona rescue.

Kitty Co. Cat Rescue and Lounge says the cats were severely malnourished and suffering from serious health issues.

Kitty Co. Cat Rescue and Lounge said they agreed to help another rescue in Altoona and ultimately accepted 38 cats. When the animals arrived, they said they were shocked by their condition.

“No cat should have to go through that at all,” Savannah Johnston, founder of the rescue, said.

Johnston said the cats were severely underweight, sick and in need of immediate care. According to the rescue, seven of the cats later died.

“Cats don’t lose weight overnight. They lose weight over time,” Johnston said. “These cats had been suffering not for a day, not for a week. They suffered for months.”

The rescue said many of the cats are now recovering after receiving food, medical treatment, and proper care.

“Now they have full bellies and clean litter boxes,” Johnston said.

Johnston says the rescue has spent well over $40,000 on care for the rescued cats.

Altoona Police told Channel 11 they received an anonymous tip requesting a welfare check at the Altoona rescue. However, officers said that by the time they arrived, the animals were gone from the property.

Since no charges have been filed… Channel 11 cannot share the name of the rescue.

“There is really no excuse to starve a cat,” said volunteer Joy King with the rescue. “I get you might not have the money for vet care or something; you might have run out of funds, but there’s no excuse to starve a cat.”

The Central Pennsylvania Humane Society said the rescue surrendered more than a dozen cats to the organization for euthanasia because the animals were suffering from severe medical conditions.

Despite the losses, volunteers said they are beginning to see signs of improvement among many of the surviving cats.

“It’s a lot of sadness throughout the whole rescue,” Lexi Puttick said. “But we’re starting to have happy feelings now that a lot of them are getting healthy.”

Kitty Co. Cat Rescue said it continues to care for the remaining cats and is seeking volunteers to help support its operations. The organization said donations are appreciated, thought its greatest need at the moment is additional volunteer support.

The rescue is asking for donations as they take on the influx of cats. Donations can be made online via:

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/kittycocatrescue

PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

CashApp: https://cash.app/$kittycocatrescue

Anyone who would prefer to donate directly can call 724-514-6858 or drop off cash or checks at 548 Baldwin Street in Bridgeville.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2026 Cox Media Group