Chatham family frantic to find their exotic pet

Sandy Webster has spent the most of this week driving around Chatham-Kent looking for her son’s 32-pound African Serval cat after it jumped through the screen door of her North Chatham home at 11 p.m. Sunday.

“I was in another part of the home when I heard a crash,” said Webster.

Her ordeal started when she discovered the damaged screen door and the two-year-old exotic pet missing.

African serval cat named Simba. (Source: Stephanie Leipold)

“The cat provides emotional support for my son, and he has not slept or eaten since Simba disappeared.”

Webster says she was cat-sitting Simba so her 30-year-old son Brady Webster, who lives out of town, could travel.

He has been the owner of the cat for two years.

Despite the appearance, Webster added the big cat is declawed and avoids human contact, so people should not try to capture it on their own, as it will likely flee.

She did not believe it posed a threat to other pets because Simba lived with two other cats.

“It will appear domesticated because he had on a red harness and a black tracking collar.”

However, the collar only works within a certain range, making up-to-date sightings critical for its return.

Simba is around 21-22” at the top of his head, standing on the ground.

Webster was thankful some people and an organization have stepped up to help in the search like Big Fix Grassroots Cat Rescue.

A resident spotted Simba as far away as Pain Court, but was last seen on Tissiman Avenue on Monday.

Anyone who spots the animal is asked to call 519-809-7175.