KITTY CONUNDRUM

Jim Stevenson stands accused of killing a cat with his .22-caliber rifle. The Galveston, Texas, resident isn't some sick, punk-ass kid. He's a bird lover and a published author, founder of the Galveston Ornithological Society.

But even if he isn't good for the Nov. 8 shooting with which he's charged, Stevenson is a cat killer. The Houston Chronicle reports that Stevenson admits to shooting two dozen cats on his property.

He also insists he does not hate cats. From the story:

"It has come across in articles that I hate cats and that's just not true," Stevenson said in an interview at his home today. "I actually like cats in the house. I have friends I visit and I play with their cats in my lap."

Feral cats, however, are another matter. Stevenson told the newspaper that it's not illegal to shoot feral cats, and if they're on his property, they're fair game.

But the Nov. 8 shooting happened this way, according to the Chronicle:

Stevenson was arrested last week after a toll booth worker at the San Luis Pass Bridge said he heard two shots and saw Stevenson driving away in a white van.

The bridge employee, John Newland, said he and other toll-takers feed the cats that gather around the bridge and consider them pets. Newland said he found the cat, which already had a limp from an earlier shooting, dead after he heard shots.

Police arrested Stevenson several miles from the bridge as he drove toward his home.

Problem for Stevenson: A pet cat isn't considered feral.

Stevenson loves his birds. Understood. But how'd you like to have an outdoor cat and be this guy's neighbor?