Who would apply white paint to the black fur of a cat? If you know the answer, you could be in line to get a $500 reward.

	Tony Tye, Post-Gazette Betsy Goetz, of the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania, washes a year-old black cat found completely covered with white latex paint. The female cat, though uncomfortable, maintained a friendly disposition. Click photo for larger image.

The cat was picked up on Frankstown Avenue by Pittsburgh Animal Control yesterday morning and taken to the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania in East Liberty. The cat is female and appears to be about a year old.

The cat also appears to be solid black, though that's hard to determine because so much of her body, including her face, is coated with white paint.

"We're not sure whether this was an accident or done intentionally," said Mark Berton, communications director at the league. "We think it was intentional because of the extent of the coverage."

Shelter workers bathed the cat with dish detergent, but the bath didn't make a dent in the paint.

"We're letting her relax and settle down" before trying another kind of bath, Mr. Berton said. "We'll probably try a nontoxic paint remover, which we'd test first on a small portion of fur."

If the paint cannot be removed, the cat will have to be shaved.

The cat is friendly and affectionate with the shelter staff, but is clearly uncomfortable because the paint-drenched fur pulls and pinches when she moves, Mr. Berton said. Fortunately, the paint is latex. The veterinary staff thinks the cat would probably be dead had an oil-based paint been applied.

A staff veterinarian also said the cat is lactating, meaning she recently had a litter of kittens.

Animal Control got a call about the painted cat and picked her up, Mr. Berton said. Anyone with information should call the shelter at 412-661-6452, Ext. 219.

About two years ago, the shelter took in a cat that had been sprayed with blue paint. That cat did not have as much paint on its fur and the staff was able to simply cut off outer layers of fur to remove the paint. That cat was later adopted. out to a home.