'Cougar' spotted in Vancouver neighbourhood was actually a large house cat: police
Police were called to a Vancouver neighbourhood for reports of a cougar sighting in the area. What they found was something else.
The Vancouver Police Department told CTV News Wednesday that officers were called to the Shaughnessy area Wednesday because of the sighting.
They searched the area the tip came from.
The "cougar" was seen near the intersections of two major streets, Granville and King Edward, a location not far from multiple schools.
They did manage to find the feline, but it wasn't a cougar after all. What they found, Const. Tania Visintin said, was a house cat.
To give some credit to the caller or callers, the cat wasn't an average size. It was a Savannah cat, a cross between a domestic cat and an African wildcat known as a serval.
Savannahs are among the largest domestic cats in the world, and have spots and stripes like the wildcat it shares some genes with.
According to a breed profile by pet food company Purina, these cats can grow up to 25 pounds and are sold for up to $25,000, though if the litter is not first-generation, the kittens sell for much less.
They can be trained to walk on a leash and play fetch, like a dog, but still have "strong hunting instincts," and the company advises against keeping them in homes with smaller pets.
Their heights vary, but Savannah cats can grow up to 43 centimetres tall.
They are much smaller than cougars, but given the wildlife in Metro Vancouver – no African wildcats, of course, but occasional bobcat, lynx or cougar sighting – it's understandable how the leap was made.
Video captured of the cat and sent to CTV News shows a tall feline shaped more like a wildcat than a traditional cat as it walks and runs. Its gait is more what an observer would expect to see of a wild animal than a house cat as well.
Police said they were able to capture the cat and bring it home, and added that there was no risk to the public.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.