Neighbors say no one has lived in the house at 5 Ridgetop Road in Wallingford since before the first snow this winter – no people anyway. The house is reportedly home to four or five feral cats, and people who live the area are concerned.
"The homeowners just abandoned it," explained Shanna Pieta, who said the cats are all around the neighborhood. "Not good at all."
The padlocked front door bears stickers declaring the house empty. Beside the house lie piles of garbage, and behind it are broken windows that expose the building to the elements. Neighbors say there’s a foot or two of water in the basement.
Someone is taking care of the lawn, and some people have been actually taking care of the cats.
"They were all alone," said neighbor Jennifer Mendes. "They had nobody to take care of them. We have cats at home, so we gave them a can of food."
Mendes said she also called the Humane Society.
The Wallingford Health Department says it will look into the situation, but officials said Wednesday they had received no complaints about a potential health hazard.
