'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
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.