MERCER ISLAND, Wash. After reviewing the security camera footage from a Mercer Island resident, police determined that an animal that was believed to be a possible cougar was actually a house cat.<\/p>\n
\"This cat does not have the same dimensions; head, shoulders and general size nor gate as a cougar,\" Mercer Island Police Department Commander Magnan wrote in a email to KING 5 on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"It is clear this is not a cougar but an ordinary cat,\" the department wrote in a Facebook post.<\/p>\n
The video was taken around 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning outside a home on the north end of the island at Faben Point.<\/p>\n
The homeowner sent the video to Mercer Island Police for review. Police and the Department of Fish and Wildlife have been working to catch a cougar on the island since it was first spotted in August.<\/p>\n
Police have been posting updates on the City of Mercer Island's website. On October 1, a report was made about a possible cougar sighting at Ellis Pond.<\/p>\n
\"When the officer met the reporting party onsite, there was some uncertainty as to whether the animal seen was a cougar or another dog,\" said the report.<\/p>\n
Police said the only photo confirmed sighting of the cougar were on August 5 and 6.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Cougar spotted in Mercer Island south of Pioneer Park<\/p>\n
Call 911 immediately if you see a cougar in a residential area. If a cougar is found, experts will attempt to relocate it.<\/p>\n
The animals are most active between dusk to dawn. Attacks on humans in Washington state are extremely rare.<\/p>\n
If you have a close encounter with a cougar, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlifeadvises the following to prevent an attack:<\/p>\n
RELATED: What to do if you see a cougar in the wild<\/p>\n
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Possible cougar sighting on Mercer Island turns out to be house cat - KING5.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MERCER ISLAND, Wash. Continue reading