Owner believes cat is still alive and inside Edmonton apartment building razed by fire

Update: The cat in this story has since been reunited with its owner. Read the updated story here. 

Nearly a month after a fire ripped through an apartment complex, one pet owner believes his cat is still inside the building.

Timothy Small says he had three cats living with him when the complex on Hermitage Road and Huffman Crescent caught fire on July 13.

One was found that night, while Small says the other two — Leah and Oscar — were seen by workers inside the building after the fire.

1:50 North Edmonton apartment fire damage estimated at $15 million

He said he was allowed to go into the apartment and use cameras and traps to find the two cats.

“We retrieved Oscar,” Small said. “He is home and safe now.”

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But while he’s seen Leah on video, she’s still on the loose.

“She is most likely up there with no food and could be starving,” Small said.

Now, Small says he’s no longer allowed to search for his cat. He says the property manager, Avenue Living Communities, is no longer granting access to the building.

“It makes no sense to me because we literally have been up there the past week,” Small said.

Thursday evening, the Edmonton Cold Weather Animal Rescue Society told Global News the restoration crew on the site is letting them set cat traps again.

The society says it’s for one night, until the crew leaves. It says it hasn’t heard from Avenue Living if it can continue for longer if needed.

1:37 Edmonton apartment fire sends 2 people to hospital in critical condition

“Under the advisement of fire authorities and investigators, the hazards from this incident are too significant to permit any resident access, and the safety of our residents remains our top priority,” a representative for Avenue Living told Global News in a statement.

“We have conducted comprehensive walk-throughs and have worked closely with our contractors and the City of Edmonton Animal Care & Control Centre to successfully secure and reunite found pets. We recognize that this is a challenging time for the owners of this specific animal and have been in contact with them directly; we will continue to provide them with any updates in a timely manner.”

As days continue to pass since the fire, Small is running out of patience and says his pet is running out of time.

“She has absolutely nothing,” Small said.

The building suffered extensive damage with large sections of the roof missing. The cost is estimated to be $15 million.