Lion chases cat through residence

Oh my, look what the cat dragged in — another, much bigger cat. The sort of cat that might just eat a person for dinner.

A mountain lion chased a house cat into a Martin City home last Monday after the owner of the house opened the door to let the cat in.

Family members said the owner of the house — an elderly gentleman who asked not to be identified — heard a commotion outside his home about 11 a.m. When he opened the door the house cat ran into the home with the young but full-grown mountain lion right on its tail.

The man threw a glass at the lion and it subsequently ran back out of the house. The man was not injured in the incident.

Perry Brown, a warden with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks confirmed the story.

"The cat came flying in the house with the lion right on its tail," he said.

Perry arrived at the home later in the day to track the lion with dogs. While they found plenty of scent, the dogs were unsuccessful. The next day two mountain lions were seen in Martin City near the man's home and both were eventually destroyed.

The lions were full grown, but young, Brown said. Their mother had recently abandoned them and they found good hunting grounds in Martin City, which has plenty of house cats and other pets to prey on.

But with the lions prowling around homes and with a Head Start school nearby, the cats had to be destroyed, Brown noted.