PORTLAND, Ore. - A 22-pound house cat that trapped a Portland, Ore., family in a bedroom earlier this month is now staying at an animal shelter.

Multnomah County Animal Services said shelter workers picked up Lux the cat on Monday "after his owners called us to report an incident and requested that he be removed from their home."

Lux made headlines when owner Lee Palmer called 911 on March 9 asking police to rescue the family from the part-Himalayan cat.

Palmer told a dispatcher the trouble began when his 7-month-old baby, Jesse, crawled after Lux and pulled the cat's tail. Lux responded by scratching the baby on the forehead. Palmer said he kicked the cat, and then Lux went berserk.

Get Breaking News Delivered to Your Inbox

Palmer and his girlfriend, Teresa Barker, snatched up Jesse and their Pomeranian dog, Smokey, and barricaded themselves inside the bedroom. They called 911 as Lux wailed and screeched out the bedroom door.

Portland police arrived and captured Lux on top of the refrigerator using a snare.

The baby didn't require medical attention and no one else was hurt in the incident.



The family initially said they wanted to keep Lux, and the shelter said no decision had been made yet on the cat's future.

"We are working with the owners to facilitate the best possible outcome for Lux," the shelter said on its website. "A local cat behavior specialist has offered their services for Lux whether he stays with his current owners or is placed with a new family."

The shelter said it will post the information if the family decides to put Lux up for adoption.