Spartacus, a 4-year old, 40-pound African serval cat who was adopted from a zoo four years ago, is on the loose after running away from his home in Merrimack, New Hampshire.
Spartacus, was first reported missing in Merrimack on Wednesday, according to the Merrimack police.
Spartacus owner, Dean King told The Associated Press his family adopted Spartacus from a Florida zoo four years ago. Since then, the cat has lived indoors the entire time spending the days in an enclosure and having the run of the family house at night. The family owns the cat legally and has a permit from the state’s department of fish and game, police said.
“The dog didn’t want to come in last night. So my wife opened the front door. The dog and the cat spooked each other and off he went,” King told The AP. “He’s gone.”
“We’re devastated,” King said. “Hopefully, he comes back.”
Photos show the cat is tawny in color with dark spots and has long ears.
“He may come when called but tends to be skittish around strangers,”
Merrimack police asked anyone who sees the cat to report it to dispatch. The cat would appear significantly larger than a bobcat. Serval cats are not normally aggressive, but it is still a wild animal.
UPDATE: Just spoke to Spartacus’ owner. African serval cat is still missing. He got spooked when owner was letting dog out last night/ran outside. Owner says he should be waking up soon. Nocturnal. Hoping he’ll return safely. He is legally owned. pic.twitter.com/XA8mrtwgS8
— Kathryn Sotnik NBC10 Boston (@KatNBCBoston) September 10, 2020