Mystery Cat Coated in Red Dye Is Roaming Texas

You've heard of Clifford the Big Red Dog... are you ready for Clifford the Small Red Cat?

Well, that's what one Texas community are having to deal with. As reported by Yahoo!Life, the viral cat has prompted officials to warn against locals helping out a little too much.

League City Animal Care shared some pretty wild images online showing the cat. It's not entirely red, mind you - although the red dye covers most of its fur, the gray still shows through.

They shared a

post on social media that has since gone viral. "We are aware of the cat that has been seen in the community with red dye or paint on her fur, and we want everyone to know this baby is not forgotten," they wrote.

"Our team is actively working to safely trap and get this cat into our care so she can receive the attention she needs."

Of course, even prior to the post, the cat had been making a stir. Who wouldn't be endeared, or even worried, when seeing such an unusual sight?

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The Shelter Says "Don't Rescue the Cat!"

But, the shelter has been pretty clear in its messaging. People really shouldn't help the cat - it isn't in its best interest.

"Please do not attempt to catch or put food out at this time," the shelter warned. "While we know it comes from a place of kindness, additional food and attempts to approach this cutie can make it more difficult for our trapping efforts to be successful."

However, they did ask for help with catching the cat. They asked for anyone spotting the neon creature to direct message them with a date and time stamp attached.

After the post went viral, they had to disable comments. "Comments have been limited due to overwhelming response... We appreciate you trying to help or thanking the shelter and staff for trying to help this cat," they explained.

In any case, we hope that the poor girl is found safe and sound, and is quickly de-reddened to be a more... normal shade of cat. Good on the shelter for all their hard work!