Real Men Love Cats: Meet Mario

Just over a month ago I posted an item noting the destruction, rendered with extreme prejudice, of the feral cat condo complex on Metropolitan Avenue (as seen at left). Those of you who are not in the know can see the aftermath for yourselves by clicking here.

I have frequently wondered exactly what happened. Well, as it would happen I recently met the fellow who oversees this colony. He calls himself Super Mario and he had quite a tail tale to tell. You see, Mario tends a number of feral colonies hereabouts. He has done so for a long time and feeds no less than 76 cats (!) daily. Despite his slightly intimidating physical presence one can clearly see Mario loves the critters under his care. And anyone who loves cats, well, is a friend of mine.

Hence why I am writing this post.

Mario has names for all the kitties under his care. Without argument the “queen” of the colony is a lass named Spotty.

Her “boyfriend”, as Mario explained to me, is this formidable fellow whose name I do not recall.

Mario told me he is, at seven years of age, among the older inhabitants of this pride. As such he generally stays close to “home” and spends his golden years lounging in the sun and napping.

After I took the above photo a chap sporting a black and white tuxedo coat slipped by. He had neither the time nor the desire for my photo-taking. He was hungry! Mario explained to me his “girlfriend” seems to have gone missing. However, he was sporting some scratches on his paw (which Mario is tending), so this might be due to feline fisticuffs over her affections. Such is the world of cats.

When I asked Mario what happened to the colony last month, he explained to me that there is a fellow thereabouts who dislikes cats. So much so, he saw fit to not only render their home into rubbish.

…but took the added measure of throwing some of it over the fence of an adjacent lot for good measure. What’s more, once the colony was moved onto the premises in question he saw fit to enter and destroy that as well. So now the gate is padlocked. I know what you’re thinking, gentle readers:

Did Mario contact the police?

Answer: yes. As Mario explained to me they explained to him that they could not do anything because (and I quote) “the man is crazy”. That may very well be. However, trespassing and destruction of property do strike me as being criminal acts and therefore a police matter.

In closing, those of you who happen to reside near this facility please help keep an eye on it. If you see something suspicious, say something! Ultimately it is up to us humans to advocate for the welfare of Spotty and her furry friends. They do not have the ability to blog much less call 311.

P.S.: It should be noted that Mario created a memorial for the feral furkids who died during the demolition of Monster Island. This too was destroyed. Mario has informed me he will be replacing it. I have asked him to contact me when he does.