Court battle over notorious Bellevue cat ramps up Friday

A Bellevue brown tabby cat is at the center of a messy legal battle, which has already cost King County tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

“Miska is the most prosecuted cat in King County and in the City of Bellevue,” said Jon Zimmerman, attorney for Anna Danieli.

Since 2014, at least 37 violations have been leveled against Miska by Regional Animal Services of King County.

“Out of the 50 cases for cats, about 75-percent are against this cat that just happens to live in the manager’s neighborhood,” said Jeffrey Possinger, attorney for Anna Danieli.

Miska’s owner, Anna Danieli, filed a lawsuit alleging governmental overreach arguing her neighbor is an animal control manager involved in many of the complaints. Danieli’s attorneys also believe Miska’s violations should be voided because the City of Bellevue didn’t properly update its domestic cat code.

“Miska has been unfairly and particularly targeted by the enforcement of powers for the City of Bellevue and for RASKC,” said Zimmerman.

Miska’s been accused of trespassing, taunting and killing other pets in the neighborhood.

“I think that Miska is guilty of being a cat in Bellevue, a cat who’s acting like a cat,” said Zimmerman.

Over the years she’s been placed on house arrest and spent six months in King County kitty jail.

“She wasn’t convicted of anything at the time, people who are convicted of a lot of crimes don’t spend that kind of time incarcerated in solitary confinement without her family,” said Zimmerman.

Friday Danieli’s attorneys KIRO 7 Miska has been missing for several months.

A trial is expected in early 2021.

Cox Media Group