The destruction of Shea Stadium has officially begun, and some fans are worried about the precious felines that live within the confines of the ballpark.

Ever since the early years of Shea, kittens and cats have been roaming around the field. Some will remember the Chicago Cubs-New York Mets game in 1969, when a black cat scurried across the visiting dugout. The Mets, of course, went on to win the NLDS and World Series that year.

Mets officials, including Department Coordinator Anthony Rizzo, claim there are only "one or two" cats living in the stadium. Bryan Kortis of Neighborhood Cats (a Manhattan feline rescue group) believes there are plenty more—at least 20 to 40.

"It'd be unlikely (that) there'd only be one or two," Kortis said. In fact, he insisted the cats be moved to Citi Field, the future home of the Mets.

"They're a part of Mets lore," said Kortis, "Why not keep them around?"

Keeping the cats near Citi Field would be beneficial to the new ballpark. The field is built near the water, and without some sort of cat population, rodents could be a major problem.

Apparently, when the cats at Shea were caught, they were taken to shelters. As of now there is no plan to move the kittens to the new ballpark.

Thanks to Newsday for info.

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