'NOT NORMAL': Woman's terrifying find after 'pet' jumps into her bed

A woman was “terrified” after she discovered what she thought was a cat climbing into her bed.

Kristine Frank, from Atlanta in the US state of Georgia, told CNN her husband got up on Wednesday morning to let the dog out when what she thought was a cat got into her bed and sat about 15cm from her face.

Ms Frank scared the animal away.

Kristine Frank is pictured with her house.
Kristine Frank said a wild animal, which she thought was a type of cat, scampered through an open door and got into her bed. Source: CNN

"I said, 'That's not a normal house cat. I don't know what that is, but I am terrified right now'," she told CNN.

Ms Frank got out of bed and her husband opened a door to let the creature out.

"Afterwards I was like, 'Was that a bobcat? Was it a leopard? Was it a baby? Was it a mum?'" she told CNN.

She managed to take a few photos before it ran away.

It turns out the animal was actually a serval.

According to the African Wildlife Foundations, servals are medium-sized wildcats and normally eat birds, rodents, frogs and insects.

African servals are pictured.
The serval which climbed into Ms Frank's bed (left). Pictured right is one seen in the wild. Source: CNN/ Getty Images

They are often found in southern parts of Africa and are not native to the US.

The Department of Natural Resources is now investigating the cat’s appearance.

It is believed the cat, which remains on the loose, might be someone’s pet.

Once it is captured the serval will be relocated to an animal reserve in North Carolina.

Ms Frank said her encounter with the serval could have gone "horribly different", concerned it could have attacked her elderly dog.

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