The “cat challenge tattoo” started completely by accident while I was teaching at the U.S. Military Police School. I was explaining how fast cats reproduce and how hoarding situations get out of control, and I drew two really bad cats on the whiteboard. Like… impressively bad. The class lost it :-).

One of the Military Police officers joked, “I’m getting that as a tattoo.” I laughed and didn’t think anything of it.

Then, on my flight home, I got a text from the student with a photo of those exact two cats tattooed on his and on another student’s leg. That’s the moment I realized this had gone way beyond a joke. I was shocked, but honestly pretty flattered.

A few months later, I was back at the school and a few students asked me about the tattoo. They said, we’re getting it after class today. This time, I went with them. As I was getting the original cats tattooed on my leg, I said, What happens if more people do this?” One of the students said, everyone who gets your two original cats should draw you a kitten, and you add it to your leg. It will show how hoarding happens and help promote spay and neuter.”

And just like that, a joke turned into a living, permanent reminder of how fast overpopulation happens and why spay and neuter matters!