Oregon residents were on high alert when they thought there was a cougar wandering around their neighborhood.
Turns out that was a false alarm, because the “big cat” that someone reported was actually a “little cat.” More specifically, someone apparently confused a cougar for an innocent, adorable house cat.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife put out a statement informing residents in the area that they could rest easy knowing that it was a house cat, not a cougar, that was spotted:
“That ‘cougar’ spotted at Cook Park in Tigard yesterday? Turns out it was a house cat. This happens more than you think.
How do we know it was a house cat not a cougar? The video is grainy but the number one indicator is its size compared to the tree and compost/garbage bin. Also, the fence is likely 6 foot, which puts the cat at less than 1 foot in height.”
Why are important videos like that always so grainy? Anytime we need to know something for sure, like if that was a cougar or a house cat, or if aliens or the Sasquatch exist, the videos we get are shot exactly like that.
Meanwhile, we’ve got security camera footage that picks things up in crystal clear quality, like this Yorkie getting picked up by a bald eagle right off of the porch. I just don’t get it, but I’m also not too upset about it, because I’m very entertained by the fact that the “big cat scare” turned out to just be a little house cat roaming around.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t include one of the greatest viral news videos of all time, which actually fits into this story like a missing puzzle piece.
I’m sure you’ve probably seen it before, but it doesn’t get any better than a news reporter saying there have been cougars spotted in the area, then turning around to point out a small cat standing in the background and saying:
“And that’s not it. That looks like a house cat.”
