Spartacus, an African serval cat, was separated from his owners and spent three days in the wild before being found and returned to his Merrimack, New Hampshire, home.
Owner Dean King noted that Spartacus may be wary of outsiders and had escaped on Wednesday after being startled by Hank, the family dog. The family made an effort to find him in the nearby woods and called Merrimack Police Department for help.
An African serval cat named Spartacus has been reunited with his owners after escaping from his home in Merrimack, New Hampshire, and spending three days in the wild.
Dean King, the big cat’s owner, said that Spartacus could be skittish around strangers and had run away on Wednesday after getting spooked by Hank the family dog. The family tried to look for him in the woods near their home and contacted Merrimack Police Department to call for help.
“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. He’s gone,” Dean told AP News.
On Friday, the police revealed that the four-year-old wild cat was trapped near its home and was in good health. After three whole days spent in the New Hampshire wild, the serval was found safe and sound.
Greetings from Merrimack! The lost serval cat has been located. It is in fantastic condition and was captured close to its habitat. It is now back with its owner. The police posted the good news on Facebook and thanked everyone for their attention and shares.
Animal control officer Haylie Gulino of Merrimack said the search was challenging since she and her fellow officers had never seen a situation like this and didn’t know what to look for.
They didn’t know; I had to show them a photo of how they typically appear. As a result, this was unknown area, as I mentioned. For the majority of people in this place, it was unusual, Haylie Gulino told the Daily Mail.
Four years ago, the lovely 40-pound cat was lawfully adopted from a Florida zoo. He has been enjoying his family’s company for the past several years. It’s important to note that the family is legally permitted to possess the cat by the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game.
A photo of Spartacus machine with his paws up on the kitchen counter, busy inspecting the coffee machine, has gone viral on social media.
Lisa King, Dean’s wife, posted a video of Spartacus perched in his enclosure on Saturday and thanked people for their support and care.
“Dean and I want to thank everyone for your help and support. Spartacus is home safe and warm. I personally can’t express my gratitude enough! I have a bond with this cat and he is my person,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
“I personally can’t express my gratitude enough! I have a bond with this cat and he is my person.”
Internet users expressed their joy at the good news in a variety of ways, writing: “So conflicting sentiments, such as gorgeous animal and pleased it is safe to come home, as well as questioning why this cat is living as a household pet. I hope the cats are secure and content, that keeping wild cats as pets is uncommon, and that they only occasionally need to do so due to unforeseen circumstances, said a lady who left a comment on the page.
“Yay! I was so devoted to this cat—I can hardly believe it. I feel like my own pet has arrived home even though he is not even mine! So pleased for his owners,” a Facebook user commented. Hearing that makes me feel so relieved and pleased. What a fascinating, lovely creature! Another person said, “To the owners, give your boy a hug for me.
“I would like to thank MPD for their help and for posting this positive news. I was concerned because the weather has been cooler, which is bad for an inside, sleek cat like this, ignoring the risks from wild animals and moving vehicles,” a third person stated.
If you adore Spartacus, you can follow his canine sibling Hank’s escapades on Instagram.
