CINCINNATI — Move over “Cocaine Bear.” Make room for “Cocaine Cat.”
An African serval cat was found with cocaine in its system. The cat was found after police pulled over its owner during a traffic stop on Jan. 28, The Associated Press reported.
At first, the cat was identified as a leopard or thought to be a hybrid F1 savannah cat, which is legal to own in Ohio. DNA testing confirmed it was neither, and in reality, was a serval, a cat that is native to Africa, WHIO reported.
The cat left the car and jumped into a tree in Cincinnati until animal control and dog wardens could get it down. The cat, which is named Amiry, broke its leg during the rescue and became agitated. Eventually, though, Amiry was captured and was taken by the team from Cincinnati Animal CARE for medical care. That’s when vets discovered that Amiry tested positive for cocaine.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time that an animal has tested positive for illegal drugs. Last year, Neo, a capuchin monkey, tested positive for methamphetamine. Since then it’s been a standard operating procedure to test any exotic animal for drugs.
Officials cannot say where Amiry came in contact with the cocaine, CBS News reported. No charges have been filed, but Amiry’s owner has relinquished ownership of the cat, the AP reported.
Amiry was in the custody of CARE as he was undergoing medical treatment before being taken to her current home at the Cincinnati Zoo.
