Pawsitive outcome for Calistoga’s lost ‘friendly neighborhood cat’
Woman who picked up Liam the ‘Pool Cat’ returns him to police station Saturday
Residents of Calistoga’s Logvy Park neighborhood sensed something was amiss when their loyal greeter – distinguishable by his petite, furry frame and friendly disposition – hadn’t been seen at any of his regular haunts.
Following a weeklong investigation into the whereabouts of the popular, missing feline, guided by an eyewitness account of a woman in a white SUV driving away with him, the police located Liam in San Carlos, 75 miles south of Calistoga as the crow flies. He made his much-anticipated return on April 18.
Liam, known by some as “Pool Cat,” can reliably be found escorting students from the elementary school to the Boys and Girls Club, watching swim lessons at the Community Pool, spectating ball games at Logvy Park, crashing classes at the Calistoga Art Center and accompanying walkers and their dogs along portions of Calistoga’s Loop trail.
“He’s a tiny little cat with a red collar and he disarms you with his gentle ways,” said Mother Tabitha Rivera, who lives along Liam’s route. “In a small community it’s hard not to know everyone, especially a cat like that who stands out for his lovely ways.”
But, on April 8, while students were on spring break, Melissa Rodriguez, whose family adopted Liam as a kitten from the Napa County Animal Shelter a couple years ago, said Liam hadn’t come home.
“People were like, ‘Hey, your cat hasn’t joined me on my walk today,’” she said.
She was contacted by a friend who saw a woman take Liam from Logvy Park and drive away, despite being told that Liam had a home nearby.
Rodriguez filed a report with the Calistoga Police Station that evening and an investigation ensued. The following day, she posted on social media seeking information about Liam’s whereabouts and began calling local shelters and posting flyers while neighbors checked doorbell camera footage for sightings of the vehicle.
The news quickly circulated through town and within 24 hours, dozens upon dozens of comments from Liam’s fan club had poured in.
Throughout the week, Rodriguez received comments online from adults she had never met and calls from kids who had seen her flyers and had mobilized to look for Liam at the park.
Juan Luis Vigil, whose 12-year-old daughter plays softball at Logvy Park, said the whole team knows Liam.
The first time Liam followed Vigil walking the Loop, he found the behavior so unusual, he documented it with a phone video. Since then, they two have become walking pals. When Liam was nowhere to be seen in recent days, Vigil said he began to worry.
“He’s always waiting at the corner. We haven’t seen him for a couple of days, so I knew something was wrong.” Vigil said. “Liam is one of the best cats. We miss him.”
When students returned Monday from spring break and Liam was still missing, the elementary school kids took notice.
Cynthia Rodriguez Salomon said Monday after school, her three kids reported that Liam had been taken.
“He is one of a kind, let me tell you that,” Rodriguez Salomon said. “We were so devastated. I know it’s Melissa and her daughters’ cat. But it feels like he is also our cat, Calistoga’s cat.”
Her 9-year-old daughter, Chelsea Alcaraz Salomon, who said Liam walks with her to the Boys and Girls Club, added, “It feels very empty with him not around. He’s very playful and I feel like when you’re in a bad mood, he’ll cheer you up.”
Calistoga Elementary School music teacher Rebecca Sager, her husband and their dog know Liam from their daily walks. It was her student, Alcaraz Salomon, who first informed her the friendly feline’s name was Liam.
“I don’t think there’s a person who lives on Washington or North Oak who is untouched by Liam – he is so gregarious,” Sager said. “I hate to think of how the children would feel if Liam wasn’t returned. The kids adore him. I think for the children, to have an animal that’s responsive, that’s something that’s really special to them.”
Rodriguez said of the response, “I know Calistoga is a really tight community, but the amount of support has been overwhelming. People wanted updates and were waiting for good news.”
Nearly a week after he was reported missing, the officers called Rodriguez on April 14 to tell her they had discovered Liam’s location.
Police Chief Matthew McCaffrey said that with information the witness shared with Rodriguez, including the vehicle description and a partial license plate number, officers identified the registered car owner, whom they tracked to a San Carlos residence. They contacted the woman, who splits her time between the South Bay and Calistoga.
“The cat was very friendly and came up to her multiple days in a row,” McCaffrey said. “It had a collar but no tag. On the third day she decided to take it home. She was very sorry and did not know it belonged to somebody.”
Legally, McCaffrey said, taking any dog is a crime, while taking a cat is only illegal if it is someone’s pet; not if it is feral.
When asked if Liam had technically been catnapped, McCaffrey replied, “Catnapping is not a legal term, there’s no such thing. Catnapping is the act of taking a nap, not stealing a cat – that is the only definition I know.”
In this case, he said the woman, whom he declined to identify by name, thought Liam was feral. McCaffrey said ways to determine if a cat is a stray include checking for collars, tags and microchips, although, he acknowledged, cats are notorious for slipping their collars.
“We just want Pool Cat back home where it belongs. Apparently, he really is the friendly neighborhood cat, which is probably what got him taken.” McCaffrey said, adding that while there was “nothing nefarious,” in the case, “it’s a lesson for all of us to think twice before picking up animals and taking them away without figuring out if they belong to somebody.”
Rodriguez said Liam is microchipped and his signature red collar should have been a visual cue that he has a family. But, at the end of the day, she’s just glad that her daughters, ages 7 and 11, will have their cat back following his 10-day South Bay adventure.
Plans for Liam’s homecoming included treating him to a can of tuna and “all the love and pets he wants,” Rodriguez said. But, she added, his adoring fans would likely have to wait a few more days before he’s back to greeting them at the park.
“He’ll be grounded for a few days,” Rodriguez said with a laugh, “until we get him adapted to being back home in Calistoga.”
Meanwhile, word spread across town that Liam was located.
“I’m thrilled,” Rivera said. “I’m getting stopped on the street from people asking if I’ve heard the good news. Everybody I talk to is just jumping for joy he’s been found.”
