A cougar has been spotted in the city of Astoria and for some, it may be too close for comfort.

The feline was reported just after 10 p.m. Saturday near Sixth Street and Irving Avenue.

Officers with the Astoria Police Department checked the area, but were unable to locate the animal.

I just happened to be in my backyard, and I looked over in the adjacent backyard and said, my word, thats a cougar, Al Jaques said. It was a cougar. And by the time I went inside to get my camera and came back out, it had disappeared.

Jaques, who is the project manager for the Astoria Public Safety building remodel, described the cougar as reddish brown, 30 inches tall and 4 to 5 feet in length.

Jaques said he has seen a few cougars before in California. But in Astoria, this was a first.

For Mayor Willis Van Dusen, a resident on Irving Avenue, its the first time hes heard of one, too.

I cant ever remember a confirmed sighting of a cougar within the city limits of Astoria, Van Dusen said. But that doesnt mean we dont have them in Astoria and we should all take them very seriously. The Astoria City Council will be watching this closely, and I will be interested to see if its a confirmed sighting. It could very well be, because I?cant remember this much deer in the city either.

The Astoria Police Department has shared advice from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for anyone who may encounter the animal. That advice includes feeding pets indoors, walking pets on a leash during the day and not feeding or attracting wildlife, which may attract a cougar.

It also advises, if you come in contact with the cougar, to stay calm, maintain eye contact and to back away slowly.

For a complete list of tips, visit www.astoriadispatch.org/go/doc/458/1504895/Cougar-sighted-in-Astoria