Video captures huge cat climbing fence at Georgetown home

[mahatmakanejeeves]

George Conway Retweeted

"It is not any kind of domestic cat that I've ever seen before." Video captures huge cat climb fence at Georgetown home

Link to tweet

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Mountain lions don't have striped tails.

That's a domestic cat, apparently a big one, probably looks bigger on account of the camera angle and lens distortion.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. A lot of the replies to that tweet concur. NT

[Arkansas Granny]

3. That's what I'm thinking, too. The feet don't look as big as I would expect.

[MFM008]

4. Maine coons

Can be pretty big.

[Sanity Claws]

5. Typical tabby stripes

It is a house cat.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. "Pretty sure it's an Abyssinian," says this poster:

GEORGETOWN, WILDLIFE
“I’m pretty sure I spotted that big cat in Georgetown”
Prince Of Petworth Today at 11:35am



“Dear PoPville,

I think I saw that big cat in Georgetown last week – it was out and seemed scared. Pretty sure it’s an Abyssinian. I posted about it to multiple local Facebook groups for lost animals, but couldn’t report it because it didn’t have a tag and skittered off.

I remembered at the time thinking that if it was less scared than when I saw it, it’d probably be absolutely terrifying to any local wildlife or cats due to its size.

Here’s the information of where I saw the cat:

(38.9077,-77.0562) – on Dumbarton St NW between 27th and 28th at 9:30 AM, August 27th.

I hope cat finds its home, it was very nice.”

WHAT THE HELEN OF TROY IS THIS, WILDLIFE
Time to Play – Mountain Lion, Savannah Cat, Huge Domestic Cat or Just Distorted Video?
Prince Of Petworth Today at 9:15am


Thanks to Niki for sending from NW DC:

“Certainly looks like a mountain lion other than the stripes (Google suggests it could be an adolescent?). Would love a biologist to weigh in!”

The Neighbors video (uploaded September 15th) says:

“Caught this on video last night around 4 am. Does not look like a domestic cat…looks a lot like a mountain lion. We live right next to rock creek park, so it’s possible it came from there? Has anyone seen this animal before? Or does anyone have a pet that looks awfully like a mountain lion around here? Worried about my small, fat house cat.”

....

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. What's the difference between a mountain lion and a large cat? D.C. is learning:

What's the difference between a mountain lion and a large cat? D.C. is learning: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2019/09/16/its-not-mountain-lion-wildlife-experts-say-after-video-large-cat-dc-stirs-worry/ … @wmatastuff

Link to tweet

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. Residents thought video might show a mountain lion in Georgetown. It's a cat named Cookie, vet says.

Local
Residents thought video might show a mountain lion in Georgetown. It’s a cat named Cookie, vet says.

By Dana Hedgpeth, Reporter covering local breaking news
September 17

A very large cat, which was caught on a surveillance video jumping onto a fence in a Georgetown backyard and was thought possibly to be a mountain lion, has been identified. ... He’s got an owner, and he’s a mixed-breed cat named Cookie.

Lee Morgan, a veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital, said he and two of his technicians were chatting Monday after seeing news reports about the possibility of a mountain lion in Georgetown. They looked at the video more closely.

[Earlier story: It’s NOT a mountain lion, wildlife experts say after video of large cat in D.C. stirs worry Large cat climbs residential fence in Georgetown]

Morgan said he saw a mountain lion years ago in the wild in the Sierra Nevada and doubted that there would be one in Georgetown. His technicians pointed out several signs indicating that it wasn’t a mountain lion. ... The feline had stripes on its tail. Its paws were too small, and so was its head. Plus, its body wasn’t thick enough, given that mountain lions typically weigh about 150 pounds, Morgan said.

“We were like, ‘A mountain lion in Georgetown. Really?’ ” he said. “We were looking at it, and we were saying: ‘No way. It’s just a cat.’ ” ... Minutes later, Morgan’s office got a call from a woman who lives in Georgetown who said it was her cat, Cookie. ... “She said: ‘Listen, that’s not a mountain lion. That’s my cat, Cookie,' ” Morgan recalled. Why the woman called her cat’s veterinarian is unclear, and attempts to reach her Tuesday were unsuccessful.
....

Dana Hedgpeth is a Washington Post reporter, working in the early morning to report on traffic, crime and other local issues. She joined The Post in 1999. Follow https://twitter.com/postmetrogirl

[mahatmakanejeeves]

9. On the other hand:

Le cat burglar: Emergency workers caught an unusual prowler lurking around rooftops in France - a black panther. http://apne.ws/uH14NeD #odd

Link to tweet