It’s only been during the last six weeks that Billy Davis coming in the office bragging about the new baby goats his nanny had birthed the night before would not have bothered me.

Before that, my dilemma was always this: How is it that some folks own livestock that provides worthwhile output — goat’s milk and cheese in Billy’s case — while the numerous damncats that have somehow accumulated around both my New Orleans and Eureka Street abodes produce no desirable output whatsoever. Less than desirable, think I, whenever I find myself cleaning the bottom of my shoes again.

But about six weeks ago, I came up with a plan to take advantage of the surplus damncat populations here and in New Orleans: catch them, skin ‘em and tan the hides to preserve the fur. Before long you’ll have enough damncat pelts to make a coat.

So far, I’ve tanned three, using a recipe (How to tan a hide) from (who else?) motherearthnews.com.

There’s an orange tabby pelt and two grays — one with black stripes and the other plain. Next I’m trying to catch a black and white striped damncat to complement the two gray pelts, and sooner or later I am bound to catch a calico.

Twelve or 15 damncat pelts should be enough for the next step in my project. I will ship the tanned and preserved pelts to one of the outfits that advertises making deer hides into coats.

Don’t get the idea that what I’m doing is inhumane or anything of the sort. These are all feral damncats, none tame. I may even catch a coon or a possum in the trapping effort, and those pelts should add variety to the fur texture.