WASHINGTON — Neighbors in Foggy Bottom are playing a game of cat and mouse over a rat-catching feline named Kitty Snows.
Kitty kills rats.
She's been slaying rodents in Foggy Bottom since 2021 when the Humane Rescue Alliance put her to work there as part of its Blue Collar Cats program. Blue Collar Cats are generally semi-feral felines not interested in living with you in your cozy home. They want to be outside.
The Humane Rescue Alliance works with individuals, businesses and organizations to put these outdoor cats to good use, by putting them to work. Essentially, they let you 'adopt' a Blue Collar Cat. In return, you feed the animal, water them, give them a safe place to do their business, and otherwise leave them be.
And the cat: She makes your rat problem... not so much of a problem anymore.
Which brings us back to Kitty Snows.
Neighbors in Foggy Bottom raved about her work and even created an Instagram account devoted to the cat. They regularly checked in on her, offering pets and nuzzles whenever they spotted her roaming the alleys. Then all of a sudden, no sign of Kitty Snows.
Neighbors did some sleuthing. Turns out, a lady who lives at the Watergate complex had taken her into her home, as a pet. That's according to the GW Hatchet, a student newspaper serving the George Washington University community. You can find their story here.
Kitty, it seems, went from life on the streets to Easy Street.
The Watergate resident tells the Hatchet newspaper that Kitty had a scab on her nose that needed a vet's care. That neighbor says the vet told her Kitty should not return to the streets.
But those Foggy Bottom folks say they've given Kitty good care. The nose issue involved only seasonal allergies, they say.
And they want their rat-killer back.
Both sides are talking about seeking legal remedies. And while this tug-of-war plays out, there's little reason to believe Foggy Bottom-ites can request a Kitty Snows rat-catching copycat. That's because the Humane Rescue Alliance has placed its online application process for a Blue Collar Cat temporarily on hold.
Why? High demand.
You see, felines that make bee-lines for rodents are the cat's meow. And we're not kitten.