Easter ham and sardines being used to lure cats from Edmonton sinkhole

Firefighters built them a ladder and a homeowner has tried luring them out with Easter ham and sardines, but so far two cats remain deep in a sinkhole in Edmonton.

Rebecca Hung says she spotted the hole beside the foundation of her house Friday morning when she returned from a vacation that lasted several weeks.

When she looked down the hole, she saw a black-and-white cat about three metres down staring up at her.

Firefighters arrived and reinforced the sides of the hole with wood so it would be safe to lower a man down, and the one who went in said the cat just fled deeper into the hole.

The firefighter also said he saw another cat that appeared grey.

Sardines down the hole

Hung says the firefighters created a ladder of wooden beams so the cats could hopefully climb out, and Hung has left treats inside a cat trap outside the hole.

"The cat rescue advice that I've gotten from professionals was to drop just a little piece of the sardine down, just so they get a little taste and the smell, and then they will want to come up for more," Hung said, noting that firefighters and utility workers also put a tin of wet cat food down the hole.

"Other than that, we're not putting (more) food or water down there, mainly because it's hard, but as well, the more food that's down there for the cats, they might want to stay down there."

Hung said they lowered a camera into the hole but could only see the black-and-white cat, so they're not sure if the firefighter was possibly mistaken about the second animal.

The firefighters also extended a long board wrapped with a blanket into the hole that the animals might be able to climb.

Hung said the hole goes beneath her foundation and appears to narrow, but she has no clue how deep it might be. A neighbour has said the land used to be a farm, so it's possible it's an old well.

Hung said she looked down the hole Sunday morning when she went to check the trap, and she could see the black-and-white cat on the makeshift ladder about midway up, so she's reasonably sure it's well enough to get out on its own.

Still, its well-being is a worry.

"It looks as though it's overweight or pregnant, so that was kind of a concern of ours, too," she said.

• Rescue mission for cats stuck in Edmonton sinkhole enters day two