Night of the Live Fur Ball

Residents of Los Angeles are reporting an unusual situation: a growing number of so-called “zombie” stray cats seem to have taken over their neighborhood, knocking and scratching on doors late at night, reminiscent of a horror movie.

Inglewood local Dennis Gray commented on the peculiar scene, stating, “I’d call it a cat—there’s something zombie-like going on.” He mentioned to ABC 7 that he spots over 100 cats wandering through the area as soon as the sun sets.

As the number of stray cats has spiked, it seems coyotes have also started appearing, likely drawn in by the abundance of wandering animals. “It was 1 a.m., and I’m hearing these noises. I’m thinking, ‘What is going on?'” Gray recalled, describing how he opened his door to find the cats scattering like cockroaches.

He noted that many of the cats don’t even seem bothered by people being nearby.

“It’s really annoying because they run around your home and hide behind everything,” added neighbor Bruce Brown, expressing his irritation to the local station.

Some residents speculate that the cat influx began when someone in the community started overdosing stray dogs, unintentionally attracting more cats to the area.

This surge in felines appears to have prompted coyotes to venture into the neighborhood, perhaps in search of food.

Surveillance footage had captured one of the coyotes making a meal out of a cat while ABC 7 was in the area. Coyotes are not uncommon in parts of LA, often scavenging through trash and the occasional small animal at night.

In response to these reports about the cat population explosion, LA Animal Services has begun investigating the situation. The city is seeking help from local organizations to provide spaying and neutering services to help manage the overpopulation issue.