Savannah Cat was Never Missing, Police Say

It turns out that the search for what was believed to be a wandering Savannah cat belonging to a mystery owner was just a big misunderstanding.

Portsmouth Animal Control Officer Ariel Fisher said that the owner, a Portsmouth woman, was actually startled to hear that her cat was the subject of a search sparked by a police Facebook post alerting the community the cat was on the prowl and its owner was sought.

The owner was contacted yesterday, Fisher said, and it turns out that a nearby resident saw the cat on the woman's property, prompting a call to police. That lead to the Facebook post and from there "it blew way out of proportion," Fisher said.

Local media outlets picked up on the story and like many stories about missing animals — especially exotic ones — interest ran high, from who the owner was to whether it's legal to own a Savannah cat in Rhode Island.

It turns out there's no problem in owning a Savannah cat. You just have to get a permit from the state and Fisher said she put the owner in contact with the state veterinarian to get it done.

And the other twist is the cat was never missing. It simply was outside in the woman's yard.

The cat is domesticated and has been cared for since it was a kitten. It is up to date on vaccinations and even microchipped, Fisher said. 

"To her, it was her everyday cat."

If you know the cat owner, or if the cat owner happens to read this, please contact me at mark.schieldrop@patch.com. I'd love to learn more about the cat — and I'm sure many in the community would too.