Sylvia Lammers is scouring her Brentwood Heights neighbourhood for her lost three-year-old serval, who taught herself how to open the back deck door and escaped on Wednesday morning.
The door has a levered handle that can be pulled down to open it, and Lammers says parts have been ordered to prevent the serval, a type of African wild cat, from getting loose again — if they can find her.
The serval, called Cassia, is the third to escape on Vancouver Island in recent days.
Two others escaped from their home north of Qualicum Beach. The male was recaptured on Wednesday while the pregnant female remained loose as of Thursday morning.
Lammers is carrying Cassia’s favourite squeaky toy, squeezing it as she walks through the neighbourhood, looking under bushes and in places where the spotted cat could hide.
If anyone spots Cassia, Lammers ask that they phone 250-588-0669 or 250-418-5112 so traps can be set up in the area.
“Do not try to approach. She will just run,” she said. “She is friendly but will not want to be approached as she is fearful and will hiss.”
She recommends against trying to pick the cat up to avoid being bitten, noting the wild cat is 25 to 30 pound and very strong.
Lammers said she has left out food at her home in case the cat returns. A home security camera will capture the cat’s image if she shows up. “I am hoping that hunger will drive her home,” she said. “It’s really just a matter of figuring out how far she has gone and knowing where to look.”
Lammers, who is part of a Greater Vancouver rescue organization, said she acquired the serval after a previous owner gave the six-month kitten up. “She was was too much for him,” she said, adding she previously owned a rescue serval and has several years’ experience with them.
Although Cassia lives in a special outdoor enclosure and spends her days inside the house, Lammers said no one else can pet her, not even her husband.
Cassia was loose briefly Sunday when Lammers thought they had accidentally left the back door open. When the cat got out again on Wednesday, she realized Cassia knew how to open the door.
Servals are legally allowed to be owned in B.C., but the B.C. SPCA is calling on the province to add them to its list of exotic animals banned as pets in the province.
