By Howard Wilkinson
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Felines have nothing to fear from Sunday's implosion of Cinergy Field.

An animal control crew from SPCA Cincinnati is making sure that when 135,000 tons of concrete and steel comes tumbling down at 8 a.m. Sunday, no stray cats are buried in the rubble.

IMPLOSION STORIES

• Goal: A gentle explosion • Police working to keep public out of danger • Info, maps • Implosion wheres, whens, and don'ts • Camera to give its life capturing inside look

Those who make their livings demolishing buildings know that large structures like Cinergy Field, once they are abandoned, often become a haven for stray cats.

The cats often look to such places for shelter and food, in the form of a stray rat.

Harold Dates, general manager of the SPCA, said county officials contacted him weeks ago about how to get any stray cats out of the stadium before the implosion.

"From what I understand, someone had seen a few of them down there,'' Mr. Dates said. "It's not surprising. It would be a natural place for strays to wander.''

Mr. Dates said stray cats often are attracted to food left behind in abandoned buildings, although he said that is apparently not the case at Cinergy Field, despite the fact that food service was a big part of the stadium operation.

Earlier this month, an SPCA crew placed traps in several locations around the stadium, with "pungent-smelling food'' left as bait.

So far, though, no cats have been found.

"We'll keep checking,'' Mr. Dates said.

E-mail hwilkinson@enquirer.com