Cougar stalks family at their Alberta home

People in the Rocky Mountain town of Canmore, Alta., are being extra vigilant after an aggressive cougar stalked a family in their home.

'He came right up and did the big cougar growl and hiss. It was scary and amazing all at the same time.' Lucille Cuell

The animal scratched and hissed at windows and doors at the house on Eagle Landing after attacking a family dog Monday night.

The cougar dropped the small terrier cross, which escaped with head injuries, and then ran off into the woods after Lucille Cuell threw a rock at it.

But just after midnight, the big cat came back and prowled around the Cuell family's yard for another 15 minutes, peering into windows and acting aggressively, the family said.

"The cougar was right by the front door. We made eye contact," Cuell said.

"The back door has a door with glass all the way to the bottom and he came right up and did the big cougar growl and hiss. It was scary and amazing all at the same time."

Canmore fish and wildlife officer Jason Cadzow said the cougar's behaviour is cause for concern.

"It isn't normal or what I would deem to be normal cougar behaviour," Cadzow said, referring to the reports the cat actually returned to the same home and paced around the door.

Following the scary encounter, fish and wildlife officers tried to trace the animal with hounds but turned up empty-handed after a five-hour search.

At the Cuell household, meanwhile, there are new rules for the kids during playtime.

"They always play outside here by themselves; I'll change that for now," Cuell said. "We always live with cougars and bears. We know that they're here; we just don't see them."

Fish and wildlifeofficers said they would resume the search if they heard more reports of the loose cougar.