African serval cat weighs up to 13 kg, capable of attacking some livestock and pets, police say
Ontario Provincial Police are warning the public about a medium-sized African cat that has escaped a sanctuary in Bonnechere Valley Township.
At about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, officers and members of the Provincial Animal Welfare Services team responded to a report that an African serval cat had escaped the area of Corrigan Road, near Silver Lake, west of Ottawa.
The escaped cat is described as weighing about 11 to 13 kilograms, with a spotted coat and pointed ears.
It's capable of attacking "mid-sized livestock and pets," police said in a news release issued Wednesday.
They're asking the public to be cautious if they see the animal, and to report any sightings to police.
'We really want him home'
Kim Rock, owner of Waddles 'n' Wags Zoological Haven in Eganville, Ont., said the cat, named Gizmo, escaped while they tried moving him into his winter quarters on Monday.
"I don't know what spooked him," Rock said. "But something spooked him and he broke the crate."
She said Gizmo should pose no risk to cats and dogs, as he was raised alongside them, but the same can't be said for chickens.
"He'll hunt for himself. [Serval cats] have one of the best hunting rates of all the cats in the world. He'll catch birds and crows and whatever, but he won't make it through the winter, I don't think," she said.
"We really want him home."
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