Fierce beast attacking Florida residents revealed as domestic cat with attitude

Suwannee county sheriff seeks to capture ferocious feral feline after two people need hospital treatment

Alerts for dangerous animals on the loose are commonplace in Florida, a state that leads the nation for escapes of wild creatures ranging from bears, lions and monkeys to snakes and tigers.

But a stalking “beast” currently terrifying residents of Suwannee county after sending two people to the emergency room in separate attacks turns out to be a domestic cat with attitude that has evaded capture for almost a week, officials have said.