LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Residents of the Hollywood Hills are being warned of a bobcat on the prowl in the neighborhood.
There have been at least three separate sightings of a bobcat in the past month in the area. A cat was spotted on La Punta Street and the 6000 blocks of Ivarene Avenue and Vine Way.
“I saw one right at my back door, like five feet from my back door. He was breathtakingly beautiful, but really took me off guard,” said Patti Negri, president of the Hollywood Dell Civic Association.
“This past week alone I’ve had three videos, sightings, photos of this gorgeous cat. I don’t know if there’s more than one or if there’s a bunch of them, but they’re really beautiful but they’re really coming down into the very occupied neighborhood,” she said.
Residents said they don’t want to call authorities or have the bobcat put down, they just want to get the word out to protect small house pets from being attacked.
“My whole campaign is to get people just to be aware. Don’t leave your dogs and cats out at all. Watch little small children. Keep your animals on a leash when you’re out walking because some have been grabbed off the leash,” said Negri.
She’s also urging residents to keep pet food and water indoors and to remove fallen fruit from the ground as often as possible.
With several small pets of her own, Negri is concerned enough about the bobcat that she’s having additional gates and fencing installed.
“You really can’t build a fence high enough to keep them out, but it’s a deterrent,” she said.
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