A suburban London resident trying to coax his cat back into the house before he went to bed got more than he bargained for.
Instead of a tame pussy, the catlike creature that emerged from the bushes in response to his calls was nearer the size of a Labrador dog.
Neither was the snarling beast in the mood for a quiet bowl of milk. It flew at the man, Anthony-John Holder, giving him the fright of his life, and several nasty scratches.
“All of a sudden I see this big black thing pouncing at me, knocked me flying,” Holder told London radio station LBC. “I was just stunned with it all.”
Holder alerted police after scrambling back into his house.
Officers who visited the scene soon afterward believe they saw the culprit fleeing into the darkness, but did not get a clear view.