Kenmore cat can't be caught

It's hard to believe it was only a year ago that unfortunate riders on the Green Line had nothing to look forward to but a cramped, jerky evening commute. Now we have a new mascot to make our day just that much brighter: a chubby, bushy-tailed furball by the name of Kenmore Kat. Take that, Red Liners!

For awhile, it seemed like the tale of the domestic cat living in Kenmore station was purely apocryphal, and Kenmore Kat was the type of legend only occasionally spotted by your friend's boyfriend's cousin's barista. But lately, the feline must be feeling more comfortable with its new-found fame, as sightings have become more frequent and less far-removed.

Readers at Universal Hub have been carefully documenting Kenmore Kat news since Sept. 3. One commenter reported this week that MBTA employees and passengers have been caring for the feline, who has lived in the station for roughly seven to eight months. Kenmore Kat has reportedly "mastered the sequence of the trains" to ensure he isn't smashed into kibble by a C train.

I spotted the cat myself about three weeks ago as it sashayed down the tracks, batting at whatever other creatures it rules over in the Kenmore tunnels and reducing grown men to concerned calls of "here kitty, kitty." Yesterday, our own Shaula Clark managed to photograph the elusive, up-and-coming feline superstar for the first time in daylight.

While Kenmore is undoubtedly one smart kitty - hell, I've been commuting to and from Kenmore for three months now and have yet to "master the schedule" - but it's still hard to believe that this well-fed, docile fellow can't be caught by animal control. And judging by this picture, they're not trying too hard. It's time to call in the big guns. Dale Bozzio is great at catching cats, as is, presumably, Heidi Erickson. There's also a handy how-to on the always insightful wikiHow, which even outlines the tools needed in your cat-catching arsenal (cat food, cat treats, cat toy... cat). So let's pack up the Meow Mix and GET THAT KITTEH.