The Portland Police have informed us that at least two cats in the St. John's neighborhood have been deliberately stolen.
Here's the strange report, which seems to indicate a crime spree inspired by dog-theft-and-ransom film Seven Psychopaths:
On November 15, 2012, at approximately 8:00 a.m., Portland Police responded to a residence in the area of North Kellogg Street and North St. John's Avenue on the report of cat theft by an unknown suspect. The caller reported seeing a man pick up a friend's cat by the tail and put the cat in his car and drive away.On December 23, 2012, another resident of the neighborhood, not far from the first call, reported seeing a man on the street squatting down and appearing to be trying to lure cats. The caller did not see if the man actually grabbed a cat or not. This caller had a limited description of the man as wearing all dark clothes and a hat, driving a white 2000-2004 Cadillac Deville, 4-door, with tinted windows and possibly a headlight out.
The district officer in the neighborhood has been told of other cats missing, but to date there are only these two reports linking a person to cat theft.
I wasn't sure why the Portland Police was keeping track of lost cats (that's the Humane Society's job) but stealing an animal is, surprisingly, a felony under Oregon law. Keep an eye on those cats and if anyone has information about the thefts, call the police non-emergency line at (503) 823-3333.