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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Somebody’s gonna get Lucky

Millwood town cat must find new home by end of the month

Employees  Debbie Matkin and  Eva Colomb admire Lucky, the Millwood town cat, in the lobby of Millwood City Hall. (J. BART RAYNIAK / The Spokesman-Review)
Valerie Putnam Correspondent

Millwood’s official mouse catcher is losing his job.

Lucky, the large, lovable black cat who has resided in Millwood City Hall since 2000, needs a new home. “He’s our pest control officer,” Eva Colomb, Millwood city clerk/treasurer, said with a laugh.

Mayor Dan Mork cited three factors that drove his decision to give Lucky away: a Washington Administrative Code, an upcoming building remodel and resident complaints.

Lucky was originally adopted from an animal shelter by the town’s staff to solve a mouse problem. The staff chose the estimated 2-year-old male, who was scheduled to be euthanized the following day.

“That is why we named him Lucky,” Colomb said. “One day away from the needle. He was pretty lucky.”

Colomb has many fond memories of Lucky. Every day as she works on the computer he reads over her shoulder. “I call him my proofreader,” Colomb said. “I just love that.”

Colomb keeps treats for him in her bottom desk drawer. On days she forgets to give him a treat first thing in the morning, he lets her know.

“If I don’t give it to him right away, he grabs my pant leg and hits the desk drawer with his foot,” Colomb said. “Then he’ll knock stuff off the desk.”

Colomb remembers once during a medical absence she instructed her replacement about the importance of giving Lucky his daily treat.

A couple days into her leave the replacement called Colomb. “She said, ‘He knocked my $3.75 latte off the desk this morning.’ I said, ‘You didn’t give him his treats did you?’ ” The answer was no.

Over the years Lucky has made many friends with residents. To demand attention from visitors, he jumps up by the glass window that separates them from Colomb. From there he reaches his paw through the hole in the window.

“A lot of people when they come in ask me, ‘Where is the cat,’ ” Colomb said. Mork wants to have Lucky placed by the end of July. He hopes Lucky will go to a home without any other pets due to his prior response to other animals.

“He’s just the best cat, and he’s so good with kids,” Colomb said. “I’ll miss him.”

Contact correspondent Valerie Putnam by e-mail at vrputnam@yahoo.com