Woman Dies Among 30 Cats in Filthy House

By Kirsten McIntyre, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Neighbors complained for years about a run-down metro home, but nothing was done until the homeowner was found dead inside, at least three weeks after she died.

Kitty Lewis died surrounded by her 30 cats in her northwest Oklahoma City home.

Her neighbors said they tried to help the elderly woman, but she refused any assistance.

"The concern was the living conditions weren't good for her and possibly not good for us as well," said neighbor Jeff Lytle.

Lytle said the house's condition was disturbing.

"I would have thought the home was vacant for eight to 10 years and no one had been in there except maybe the animals," Lytle said. "I wouldn't believe a human being could live there."

Neighbors rallied together to demand change.

"In '96, when they went in, the report says there were four years of feces built up inside," Lytle said. "In the 2004 report, it said they found her lying in animal and human feces in the house."

In the summer of 2004, police said they discovered a dead, rotting possum inside Lewis' home. Shortly after the report, her home was declared unfit to live in.

The Oklahoma City-County Health Department then turned the case over to the municipality, or Oklahoma City. The department said they don't condemn houses.

The city of Oklahoma City said it only deals with structurally problems, high weeds and grass, and that the inside of the home is in the Health Department's jurisdiction.

"We could go in if we thought there was an eminent health problem, but from the outside, there didn't appear to be a health problem," said Health Department spokesman H.R. Holeman.
Neighbors plan to be at the next city council meeting, where they will ask the city to tear down the house.

Kitty Lewis' body was discovered in her home last Friday after neighbors became concerned they hadn't seen her in weeks. The medical examiner's office said due to decomposition, a cause of death can't be determined.