Big cat conspiracy: MNR says latest cougar sighting is a pet, not a panther

Good news, lower-city pet owners: the only confirmed big cat in the area is Stripes the Tiger-Cat.

Door-cam footage of a seemingly large cat stalking across a London Street South lawn caused fur to fly online this week after the puma-like footage was posted to a Crown Point Facebook page.

The cat fight began after a well-meaning warning that a cougar may be on the prowl in the lower city - the fourth such report in Hamilton since 2020. Looks like we have a big cat in the area. If you don't want your outdoor cats to be a snack bring them indoors," wrote a neighbourhood poster who later closed comments on the contentious video.

The poster asked not be named in this story to avoid further grief" from some of the more excitable contributors of 173 comments over just a few days. The five-second video spurred debate over the size and range of mountain lions, Oskee-wee-wee references and the inevitable bad jokes about Hamilton bars.

It also prompted a complaint to the city, which forwarded it to the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources. The ministry verdict came back Tuesday: it's a big house cat.

Via email, the ministry conceded the cat appears to be large initially" in the video, but its size relative to the car in the background leads to the conclusion that is a house cat."

If that's not enough for cat conspiracy theorists, a wildlife expert contacted by The Spec also pointed out apparent colouring on the paws and tail of the mystery feline that you would not find on an actual cougar.

In fairness to believers, big cat sightings are becoming routine in Hamilton.

In May, a Greensville-area resident reported an alleged backyard cougar. In 2020, the city was asked to look into unconfirmed sightings in both Stoney Creek and along Burlington Street.

Most reported cougar sightings in Ontario are misidentified wildlife like dogs, lynx or coyotes suffering from a skin disease like mange. Occasionally, though, big cats escape from small zoos or even private homes.

There is also some evidence to suggest wild cougars have returned to Ontario, including DNA found in the Wainfleet bog in 2004. That discovery prompted years of unconfirmed or false sightings - including one along Highway 403 in Hamilton that turned out to be a mangy coyote killed by a vehicle.

Matthew Van Dongen is a transportation and environment reporter at The Spectator. mvandongen@thespec.com