Portland attack cat Lux winds up at animal shelter while owners wrestle with decision to keep him

Lux, the 22-pound Himalayan cat

, has taken up residence in the Multnomah County Animal Services shelter.

The owners contacted Animal Services workers Monday morning and asked them to come get the cat, said Mike Oswald, director of the shelter in Troutdale.

"They are wrestling with the decision whether to keep the cat,'' Oswald said. "They said they are going to think about it tonight and we will talk about it Tuesday."

The decision to give up a pet is a difficult one, but Animal Services is willing to work with pet owners, he said.

"Sometimes, owners change their minds,'' he said. "If they decide they don't want him back, we will go through the adoption process."

The meow heard 'round the world began March 9 when Lee Palmer and Teresa Barker’s 8-month-old son, Jesse, crawled after Lux and pulled his tail. Lux reacted by swiping at Jesse’s face and drew blood from the baby’s forehead.

Palmer kicked the cat away. And then Lux, according to Palmer and the detailed 911 call, went ballistic.

The cat's behavior was so alarming, the couple took Jesse and their black Pomeranian dog, Smokey, and locked themselves in the bedroom of their apartment at The Yards at Union Station. Lux wailed and screamed outside.

Palmer couldn't get through to Animal Services, so he called 911.

Listen to the 911 call:

Or download

.

In short order, Portland police arrived and captured Lux on top of the refrigerator using a snare.

A week ago, police issued a news release detailing the rescue. The story went viral, attracting worldwide attention and keeping both Palmer and Barker’s cellphones ringing all last week.

Barker and Palmer also got a call from the producers of the Animal Planet show “My Cat from Hell.”

Palmer said Monday he wasn't ready to talk about Lux's future with the family.

--Stuart Tomlinson

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.