On March 9, 2014, Lux shot to Internet stardom when he supposedly trapped his owners in their bedroom and they called 911. The attack cat story gained national attention when headlines like ABC’s 911 Call Reveals Family Held Hostage by Fat Cat and KGW’s House cat goes berserk, scares Portland family hit papers, television and social media. Basically the story went like this:

PORTLAND – A 22-pound house cat scared a Portland family into calling 911 for help Sunday. The family called 911 at 7:55 p.m., telling dispatchers the huge cat named Lux attacked their baby and then forced them to flee into a bedroom, where they remained holed up inside. The baby was not injured but the 911 operator could hear Lux screeching in the background.

“I kicked him in the rear and he just went off, over the edge,” the caller told the 911 dispatcher. “We are not safe around the cat. We’re trapped in the bedroom. He won’t let us out of the door.”

When officers arrived, the man, who sounded slightly shaken, told the dispatcher he was reluctant to let the police in because, “If I leave the bedroom, I’m going to have to fight the cat.  Tell them to be careful, the police.”

The dispatcher stayed on the phone with the caller to make sure everyone, including the family dog, was safe. Police managed to apprehend the suspect with cleverness, instead of sheer force.

“They saw the black-and-white Himalayan dart into the kitchen, attempting to flee custody,” said Sgt. Pete Simpson with the Portland Police Bureau. “Officers were able to outwit the high-strung Himalayan, who climbed on to the top of the refrigerator, and get a snare around the cat and safely get the cat behind bars in its crate.”

Simpson told KGW that “it could have been catastrophic had it been attacking the officers.” The mother said with a new baby in their lives, perhaps it’s time to find another home for the cat.

“Maybe it’s something that can be worked out through mediation between the family and cat,” Simpson said.

Lux was the lead story on Inside Edition and a big headline on Huffington Post. He was also a hot topic of discussion for Whoopi Goldberg on The View. Chris Hardwick opened his Comedy Central show @Midnight by asking his guests to translate Lux’s screeching in the 911 call.

AND THEN: March 17 – LUX SENT TO SHELTER. Lux, the angry cat that that trapped a family of three in a bedroom, has been sent to a shelter. The owners of the now-infamous black-and-white house cat contacted Multnomah County Animal Services and asked them to come get the cat, said the director of the shelter in Troutdale.

BUT SOON AFTER: Animal Planet’s cat whisperer, Jackson Galaxy, offered to work with Lux and his family for an upcoming episode, My Cat from Hell.

AND THE CAT CAME BACK: March 20 – The owners of a cat that went on a rampage after being kicked by the owner’s boyfriend for scratching the baby told the Multnomah County Animal Shelter that they decided they wanted him back.

Note: Lux weighs only 12 pounds and is a Domestic Long Hair, not a Himalayan. But who’s counting?

………………………to be continued.

Next up: 4: LUX – CONFIRMED