Caught on Video in Howell, NJ: Mountain Lion or House Cat?

Was a mountain lion captured on a backyard video camera, or was it something else, like a house cat?

A Monmouth County resident is concerned for her safety, if it is a mountain lion.

The animal was captured on her backyard Ring-type video camera in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 29, 2025.

READ MORE: Morris County NJ Family Reports Seeing Mountain Lion Twice

READ MORE: Woman Sees Mountain Lion on Road Near Denville, NJ

Are there mountain lions in New Jersey

Many people, including state wildlife officials, will tell you that mountain lions don't exist in New Jersey.

Others say that's not true, and they have had mountain lion encounters in the state. Over the past few years, I've heard from many of those witnesses, and they believe what they saw was a mountain lion or cougar.

You can check out many of these eyewitness reports here.

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Captured on video in Howell, New Jersey

Our latest report comes from "JS" in Howell. She says she lives in the Farmingdale section of Howell.

JS says her camera caught what looks like a "large cat of some sort" in her backyard at 3:44 am.

Here's the video:

Is it a mountain lion or something else?

I don't see this being a mountain lion. While it has a longer tale, like a mountain lion, it doesn't have the larger paws of such an animal.

It's hard to judge the size of the animal, although that's an air conditioning condenser unit it passes by, and it doesn't look that big compared to the unit.

What do you think? Mountain lion or something else?