'Very substantial and fine-looking' house cat sparks cougar sightings in Battle Ground

BATTLE GROUND, Wash. -- Cougar sightings are sparking unease across Washington state after last month's deadly attack near North Bend.

That's why photos of what was believed to be a juvenile cougar spotted in the town of Battle Ground were taken seriously.

On Saturday, Battle Ground Police received reports that a juvenile cougar was seen about 9:30 a.m. near the 300 block of NE 10th Street.

Police conducted an extensive search but found no signs of the cougar. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife was also notified.

Upon further review, the juvenile cougar was discovered to be a house cat. A "very substantial and fine-looking cat indeed, but a house cat none-the-less," a city official wrote on Facebook.

Battle Ground Police did say there have been enough recently reported sightings that they "cannot rule out that a cougar is not loitering in the Battle Ground area."

A previous sighting of the cougar was reported last Thursday in the same general area.

According to Fish and Wildlife, this is the time of year that juvenile cougars tend to be in the lowlands.

If you see a cougar, please report it to 311.