Kitty Snows, like other outdoor cats not suited to be house pets, is one of the “working cats” who live outdoors to help mitigate rodent problems as part of the Humane Rescue Alliance’s Blue Collar Cats program.
The surrounding community works together to take care of the outdoor cat, just as one D.C. neighborhood did for Kitty Snows — until earlier this month when the animal was taken and rehomed.
Foggy Bottom resident Sadie Cornelius said Kitty Snows was placed in her neighborhood through the program in July 2021, and has since become a beloved fixture in the community.
“She’s definitely well loved,” Cornelius said. “It’s a pretty good deal for a cat. She gets to live her best life outside while getting unlimited food and water.”
Cornelius said that through word-of-mouth, community members tracked Kitty Snows down to an apartment at The Watergate.
“She’s been illegally trapped,” Cornelius said, who added that another neighbor wrote a letter to the person or people with Kitty Snows, asking for her return. So far, there’s been no response.
“That’s actually really dangerous to have a feral cat inside, for the human and for the animal,” she said.
Cornelius said she wants to get Kitty Snows back to the neighborhood, but doesn’t want to involve law enforcement.
“We’re trying to do everything we can to be neighborly and work with the people who have her to get her back on the streets where she belongs,” Cornelius said.
According to the Blue Collar Cats website, cats like Kitty Snows are a cleaner alternative to toxic pesticides, as well as less expensive and more effective.
“Since these cats cannot be rehomed through traditional adoption channels, this program is often their last chance at a rich and fulfilling life,” the website stated.
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