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Mountain Lion Wanders Around Inside Colorado Home, Kills House Cat

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS Local)- A Boulder woman is mourning the loss of her family's cat after a mountain lion broke into her home and killed the cat named Klondike.

"There was a mountain lion standing in our living room, it looked right at him and licked its lips and he took off," said Kayla Slaughter.

(credit: Boulder Police)

She believes the big cat likely got into the home through a window.

"I got her my junior year of college. She's been with me for 10 years," said Slaughter when describing her beloved cat.

Klondike (credit: Kayla Slaughter)

It took hours for officers to figure out what to do since this is a rare occurrence, especially in Boulder.

"When the cops came to the door and said, 'There was a report of a mountain lion in your neighbor's house,' I thought, 'What are you talking about?' It seemed very odd and just unusual," said neighbor Jessie Frankel.

(credit: CBS)

Neighbors stayed inside but had a pretty good view from the windows which let them see the big cat wandering around the home.

"It went upstairs and that's where I took the video because there is a bathroom upstairs and a window," said neighbor Leah Frankel.

(credit: Leah Frankel)

"I saw its ears and its face popped up and then it was there for a few seconds."

Animal control officers decided to haze the mountain lion.

"They were shooting these little bean bags and I think trying to scare it out of the upper level and downstairs," said Frankel.

Despite the beauty of living near open space, Slaughter says her family will be safer in the future, "We'll definitely be more vigilant with keeping our windows shut when we're not here, especially at nighttime."

(credit: CBS)

The mountain lion ran out of the house and then made its way up into the wilderness near Boulder Canyon. The mountain lion didn't appear to be injured by the ammo that was fired.

Slaughter told CBS4 that while she is concerned the big cat wasn't captured, she was reassured by officers it likely won't return after being hit with the bean bags.

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