Beware of Hoppy the felonious feline
By Emily Kaiser
Evil biting dogs in this city have been getting a bad rap lately. But what about those cats known for unprovoked attacks in the neighborhood? There are only two in the city labeled "potentially dangerous" and Hoppy the cat just became one of them. Can you really take a "dangerous cat" label seriously?
Try to read the beginning of this story and the following facts without snickering.
A pet that has twice raced out from its south Minneapolis yard to attack passing dogs and their owners was returned home Tuesday after Animal Care and Control impounded it for the second time in two years.
Hoppy is a cat.
Cats attacking dogs in Minneapolis is a pretty rare occurrence, but Hoppy has the routine down like no other. On the other hand, there are 140 dogs in Minneapolis that are labeled a threat.
More about Hoppy from the Star Tribune:
The felonious feline ran afoul of the law in fall 2007, when a man walking his dog said he was charged by a large black cat in the 3900 block of Drew Avenue South. The man, Thomas Buchberger, reported that he fell to the ground and was bitten and scratched several times before Hoppy let up. Buchberger's dog, Walden, ran to the safety of the middle of the street.
The city wanted to have Hoppy destroyed, but the 82-year-old owner refused and had the ruling overturned. After his second attack last month, the city is now pretty fed up with this annoying furball. This time Russ King told the city he was out walking his dog Charlie, a Maltese, when he passed Hoppy's house. Hoppy attacked and when King picked up his dog to protect him, Hoppy scratched him instead.
Now Hoppy is under some serious restrictions. He was microchipped, given a rabies shot, and must be registered with the city every year. If Hoppy is outside, he has to be on a harness with a leash held by an adult and must be put away when people come in the home. Hoppy gets one more chance to behave himself before the city pulls the plug on these evil cat's life.
UPDATE: See a video of Hoppy here.
By Emily Kaiser
Evil biting dogs in this city have been getting a bad rap lately. But what about those cats known for unprovoked attacks in the neighborhood? There are only two in the city labeled "potentially dangerous" and Hoppy the cat just became one of them. Can you really take a "dangerous cat" label seriously?
Try to read the beginning of this story and the following facts without snickering.
A pet that has twice raced out from its south Minneapolis yard to attack passing dogs and their owners was returned home Tuesday after Animal Care and Control impounded it for the second time in two years.
Hoppy is a cat.
Cats attacking dogs in Minneapolis is a pretty rare occurrence, but Hoppy has the routine down like no other. On the other hand, there are 140 dogs in Minneapolis that are labeled a threat.
More about Hoppy from the Star Tribune:
The felonious feline ran afoul of the law in fall 2007, when a man walking his dog said he was charged by a large black cat in the 3900 block of Drew Avenue South. The man, Thomas Buchberger, reported that he fell to the ground and was bitten and scratched several times before Hoppy let up. Buchberger's dog, Walden, ran to the safety of the middle of the street.
The city wanted to have Hoppy destroyed, but the 82-year-old owner refused and had the ruling overturned. After his second attack last month, the city is now pretty fed up with this annoying furball. This time Russ King told the city he was out walking his dog Charlie, a Maltese, when he passed Hoppy's house. Hoppy attacked and when King picked up his dog to protect him, Hoppy scratched him instead.
Now Hoppy is under some serious restrictions. He was microchipped, given a rabies shot, and must be registered with the city every year. If Hoppy is outside, he has to be on a harness with a leash held by an adult and must be put away when people come in the home. Hoppy gets one more chance to behave himself before the city pulls the plug on these evil cat's life.
UPDATE: See a video of Hoppy here.
