Animal Control Finds 8-foot Alligator in Box with Two Dead Cats in Suburban Los Angeles Backyard

Most people just keep goldfish, cats or dogs as pets. Some more exotic pet owners keep tarantulas or snakes in their homes. One home in Van Nuys in Southern California, however, has been keeping a secret pet alligator in their backyard for the past 36 years.

The alligator, an eight-foot female named Jaxson, was found by animal control authorities in the home of Laura Mattson. The reptile was hidden in a box under foliage, along with the dead bodies of two cats. Although it is suspected that the homeowners were feeding the felines to their pet, they are denying the allegations.