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Rally Cat custody case: Feral Cat center has him, Cardinals want him
A Busch Stadium grounds keeper retrieves a small cat that ran across the outfield past Kansas City Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain in the sixth inning during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, August 9, 2017, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Photo by Chris Lee, clee@post-dispatch.com
A small cat runs across the outfield during St. Louis Cardinals' Yadier Molina's at-bat in the sixth inning during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, August 9, 2017, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Molina hit a grand slam on the next pitch after the cat was retrieved by a grounds keeper. Photo by Chris Lee, clee@post-dispatch.com
The Rally Cat sits in a cage at the St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach in south St. Louis on Friday, Aug. 11, 2017. He is a classic tabby cat, and is about 16 weeks old. Volunteers with St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach caught him in City Garden last night 3:45 am. They used sardines and mackerel to lure him into the trap. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Could a custody fight be in Rally Cat’s future?
The cat — who scampered to fame after running across the Busch Stadium outfield last week — is being cared for by St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach. But the Cardinals are claiming custody of the feline, whom the outreach center has officially named Rally Cat.
“We’ve had thousands of inquiries from throughout the region, including many great organizations like the St. Louis Cardinals, in addition to many cat-loving individuals about adopting Rally,” the center said.
The center said it had an adoption process in place, and the most important thing is for Rally to have a happy and healthy life.
Enter the Cardinals, who have staked a claim to “our” cat.
“The St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach organization has assured us they will be returning our cat to us after a mandatory 10-day quarantine period,” said Ron Watermon, the team’s vice president of communications.
And when does that 10-day quarantine end? Monday — the day before the team comes back to Busch Stadium for a homestand.
Team owner Bill DeWitt asked Watermon “to plan a formal ‘welcome home’ ceremony next week when the Cardinals return from their road trip,” Watermon said. The ceremony will also honor the outreach center’s volunteers who helped rescue the cat.
So if Rally winds up at Busch Stadium, where would he live?
“Rally Cat will be cared for by our team, making the Cardinals Clubhouse his home,” Watermon said. “Mike and our players are looking forward to loving and caring for him.”
The team is making plans to help raise awareness with St. Louis Feral Cat by planning — of course — a Rally Cat appreciation day to help raise money for the outreach center on Sept. 10 at a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. (If only it were the Detroit Tigers.)
The outreach center says Rally’s health is fine but he needs to gain more weight, and will be neutered — part of standard policy.
“It is our hope he will be ready for his first public appearance, hopefully at the Rally Cat Appreciation Night,” the center said.
- By Denise Hollinshed St. Louis Post-Dispatch
- 13 hrs ago
- (37)
A Busch Stadium grounds keeper retrieves a small cat that ran across the outfield past Kansas City Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain in the sixth inning during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, August 9, 2017, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Photo by Chris Lee, clee@post-dispatch.com
A small cat runs across the outfield during St. Louis Cardinals' Yadier Molina's at-bat in the sixth inning during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, August 9, 2017, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Molina hit a grand slam on the next pitch after the cat was retrieved by a grounds keeper. Photo by Chris Lee, clee@post-dispatch.com
The Rally Cat sits in a cage at the St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach in south St. Louis on Friday, Aug. 11, 2017. He is a classic tabby cat, and is about 16 weeks old. Volunteers with St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach caught him in City Garden last night 3:45 am. They used sardines and mackerel to lure him into the trap. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com
Could a custody fight be in Rally Cat’s future?
The cat — who scampered to fame after running across the Busch Stadium outfield last week — is being cared for by St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach. But the Cardinals are claiming custody of the feline, whom the outreach center has officially named Rally Cat.
“We’ve had thousands of inquiries from throughout the region, including many great organizations like the St. Louis Cardinals, in addition to many cat-loving individuals about adopting Rally,” the center said.
The center said it had an adoption process in place, and the most important thing is for Rally to have a happy and healthy life.
Enter the Cardinals, who have staked a claim to “our” cat.
“The St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach organization has assured us they will be returning our cat to us after a mandatory 10-day quarantine period,” said Ron Watermon, the team’s vice president of communications.
And when does that 10-day quarantine end? Monday — the day before the team comes back to Busch Stadium for a homestand.
Team owner Bill DeWitt asked Watermon “to plan a formal ‘welcome home’ ceremony next week when the Cardinals return from their road trip,” Watermon said. The ceremony will also honor the outreach center’s volunteers who helped rescue the cat.
So if Rally winds up at Busch Stadium, where would he live?
“Rally Cat will be cared for by our team, making the Cardinals Clubhouse his home,” Watermon said. “Mike and our players are looking forward to loving and caring for him.”
The team is making plans to help raise awareness with St. Louis Feral Cat by planning — of course — a Rally Cat appreciation day to help raise money for the outreach center on Sept. 10 at a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. (If only it were the Detroit Tigers.)
The outreach center says Rally’s health is fine but he needs to gain more weight, and will be neutered — part of standard policy.
“It is our hope he will be ready for his first public appearance, hopefully at the Rally Cat Appreciation Night,” the center said.