Gigantic Cat Prowls Detroit Neighborhood and Has Residents More Than a Little Afraid

This Motor City cat doesn't purr; it hisses, observers say.

And it's no kitten; it's said to stand between 3 and 4 feet tall, believe it or not, and is lanky with a long tail.

If you think it's hanging out at the Detroit Zoo, think again.

It's hunkering down in a neighborhood...and the residents are afraid of what the giant feline might do if, for example, an inquisitive toddler approaches it.

(Credit: WJBK-TV )

“His tail is longer than my arm,” Antwaun Asberry, a 6-foot-5 resident, told the Detroit Free Press. “I was like, what the [expletive].. I don’t know what it is. I just want it gone.”

Asberry is far from alone in his neighborhood, as other residents are concerned about the cat roaming the streets in recent weeks. Detroit police and Animal Control, the Free Press reports, haven't responded. The Michigan Humane Society is investigating, however.

“We’re going to put some effort into this,” said Nancy Gunnigle, a director with the Humane Society, adding that cats this size are “not easy to catch.”

(Credit: WJBK-TV)

“I’ve never seen a cat that big — even on TV,” Nathan McGuire, 47, told the Free Press.

Paul Hatley, 14, ran into the cat, too. “It wasn’t normal,” he said of the big cat. “It didn’t run away like normal cat. It just stared at you. ... It was scary.”

An expert spoke to WJBK-TV and said it may be a Savannah cat, a domestic hybrid. A breeder says the cats are a cross between a domestic house cat and a "serval" (a medium-sized African cat), WJBK reports.

A Savannah cat in a home (Credit: YouTube)

The unusual mix was created in the late 1980s, and Savannahs tend to be more social than house cats. They're the largest domestic breed, WJBK says, adding that its tall, slim build often makes it look larger than it actually is. Some male Savannahs can weigh more than 20 pounds.

Not that such news necessarily makes neighborhood residents breathe easier.

“He looked at me,” Asberry said to the Free Press. “I looked at him. He walked like he ain’t scared of nothing.

“This thing is out here, bro.”

Here's a report from WJBK-TV that includes raw video of the cat in the neighborhood:

Fox 2 News Headlines

Here's a report from the Free Press that includes interviews with scared residents of the street where the cat reportedly prowls:

And here's a video of a domestic Savannah cat in a home, which may offer some perspective:

--

[related]