ATLANTA — An exotic African cat is now out of an Atlanta home and captured by Georgia's Department of Natural Resources.
The Serval cat named Nala is native to Africa and illegal to own as a pet in Georgia.
DNR came to take the cat on Thursday, according to Nala's owner, Anna Fyfe. DNR confirmed to 11Alive in a statement that they are evaluating the cat before being permanently sent to a licensed facility.
Fyfe, a University of Georgia student, tells 11Alive exclusively she is devastated.
"I am heartbroken," she said. "She really helped me get through a lot."
Fyfe and her family found Nala near her home in South Carolina. She decided to bring the now 2-year-old cat with her when she moved to Atlanta for college.
DNR got word Nala was living in Atlanta after she got loose in a neighborhood in Brookhaven. Kristine Frank said she woke up to find the cat on her bed one morning.
"I look at the cat, and I immediately know that is not a normal house cat," Frank said. "The last thing I thought was that it was someone's pet."
Frank said she contacted the Animal Legal Defense Fund to help find the cat after it left her house. The ALDF said they are hoping Nala ends up in an accredited sanctuary.
"Wildcats are not meant to be pets," said Alicia Prygoski, a senior legislative affairs manager with the ALDF. "They could be a danger to communities and surrounding neighborhoods."
Fyfe said her cat was declawed, slept in the bed with her and ate raw chicken and steaks every day. She disagrees with DNR's decision to take away her cat.
"Yes, she is illegal in Georgia, but her home is in South Carolina," Fyfe said. "I think she should be taken back there. She's probably scared and confused right now."
The ALDF said they are waiting to learn exactly where Nala is going. They offered to put her in an accredited sanctuary that will meet all of her needs.
"Even if this owner had the best intentions, it is not a domesticated house cat," said Kim Kelly, a legislative affairs director at the ALDF. "These cats retain natural behaviors. They have the propensity to harm other animals."
Meanwhile, Fyfe said she wants to visit Nala and try to get her back.
"I will try to fight this the best I can," she said. "I don't think it is fair for her to go to a sanctuary. It is not a good life for her considering her life she had before."