The spotted wildcat jumped out of the car window and immediately climbed the tree. As rescuers arrived trying to catch a serval named Emiri, the animal broke its leg and got even more excited. When the animal was taken to the veterinary clinic, doctors performed a drug test and found cocaine in the animal’s blood. Social media users immediately dubbed Emiri a “cocaine cat” in reference to the thriller Cocaine Bear released this year.
Why did vets even think of doing a blood test for drugs from a feral cat? Ray Anderson, director of the Cincinnati Animal Shelter, told reporters the decision was made as standard practice in examining exotic animals after methamphetamine was found in the blood of a capuchin monkey named Neo in 2022.
Now Emiri’s serval will have a new home at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Anderson also said that servals, despite their growing popularity on social media, are extremely labor-intensive pets. They need special food and much more attention than a normal cat. Plus, they can be downright dangerous.
“You can save a ton of money and adopt an amazing house cat from the nearest animal shelter,” the vet advised.
