WHEN I first read  that phrase I froze.  Were they herding cats to extinction?  Ya gotta remember that in my youth I have been known to shepherd a dog through the woods with me when the dog catcher was in the neighborhood (that’s Charlotte, North Carolina about 1946), so I immediately flashed on hunters in search of extinguishing cats.  WRONG, at least in my current neck of the woods, at least last week.

An article in the free Athens News spotlights the efforts of a local group of “Cat Herders” who endeavor to capture cats, have them neutered by a vet, and then release them, ultimately lessening the current cat  overpopulation. [A drop in a bucket is better than no drop]

A week later there’s an opinion in the same paper saying that cats should not be released back to the cruel possibilities awaiting them in freedom there (here).  [At times like these I get to feeling snarky, like asking how many cats she is boarding.]

Meaning:  To attempt to control the uncontrollable.

SOURCE OF SAYINGS:  Wikipedia and other sites suggest the “cat herding” saying may be from the  opening scene of Monty Python‘s Life of Brian (1979). Shepherds are discussing sheep and the topic strays to cats: Can you imagine herds of cats waiting to be sheared? Meow! Meow! Woo hoo hoo.