An Atlanta woman got a wild surprise this week when she woke up to a cat jumping onto her bed. But it wasn't just any cat - it was a serval, an exotic cat native to Africa.
Kristine Frank told CNN that the cat came in the house Wednesday shortly after her husband took their dog outside and left a door open. She said the serval was just six inches from her face before she scared it off the bed.
"I said, 'That's not a normal house cat. I don't know what that is, but I am terrified right now," she said.
She slowly got out of the room and her husband opened a door that led outside, allowing the cat to leave their house. Frank then called Animal Control, who told her to contact the Department of Natural Resources, which is now investigating.
"It still kind of terrifies me because that cat is illegal and there's a reason it's illegal," Frank added.
According to CNN, the cat, which Serval estimated to be about 2 and a half feet tall, is still on the loose. Frank said she thinks the serval is someone's pet.
Owning a wild cat is illegal in Georgia, but there are no federal laws against it.
"When law enforcement is hopefully able to trap her we hope that she is then set to an accredited sanctuary where she can live out the rest of her life in an appropriate habitat," Animal Legal Defense Fund Senior Legislative Affairs Manager Alicia Prygoski said.
Read more from CNN here.
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