Authorities arrived at Horses Unlimited the morning of Nov. 28, but after an exhaustive search of one barn at the farm, which offers trail-riding, grooming, training and stable services, no cat was found. The only traces of a possible cat were large tracks found in the snow outside the barn, according to SPCA officer John Greer.

“That’s about it,” Greer said. “There’s no cat in there.”

A horse was attacked at Horses Unlimited late earlier in the week prior to the cat sounds, confirmed Greer. The Ministry of Natural Resources responded, and the horse was put down due to its injuries, he said.

The MNR was also contacted on Nov. 28, but declined to respond for unknown reasons, said Greer. Several officers remained at the farm as a precaution, he said.

Inside the barn, where the owners say they heard cat noises from the upper levels, there were also signs of a disturbance, said Greer.

“Something spooked the horses to do that,” he said.

Emergency Medical Services and The Exotic Animal Rescue Society also arrived. Greer said they were both called by police.

Despite seeming evidence to the contrary, Greer said it’s still premature to say there’s a large cat on the loose.

“There’s lots of sightings and that’s it,” he said.

Greer said the MNR won’t release details on the horse attack. The owners of Horses Unlimited refused to speak to reporters and wouldn’t allow Niagara this Week on the property.

Anne Yagi, biologist with the MNR, confirmed her office responded to a call from the landowner for a horse attack that occurred late Sunday or early Monday morning. The landowner’s veterinarian had the horse put down, said Yagi.

Yagi took swabs and photographs and sent the items to Trent University in Peterborough for DNA testing, she said. Cameras were also placed on the property for surveillance but were removed by request of the landowner, she said.

Yagi said the MNR was not invited to the farm on Nov. 28 to help investigate. She also wouldn’t speculate on the source of the attack or the possibility of a live cougar, panther or jaguar roaming the area.

“I can’t guess right now, but we have collected evidence and sent it to our experts and it’ll be two to three months for the results,” Yagi said.

Cougar sightings were reported in Pelham last year, and a Cooks Mills resident believes her horse was attacked by a large cat in broad daylight last September. In October, a Stevensville resident began posting notices after claiming he saw a large cat in Loyalist Park.