Cat looks like it's holding toting a firearm, and police couldn't resist

A furry suspect caught on camera holding what appeared to be an assault rifle was lucky after escaping police by a whisker.

An Oregon resident alerted police after spotting a cat holding what appeared to be a firearm in its paws while posted up in a tree.

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Police rushed to the scene to answer the bizarre call after receiving an image of the feline suspect toting the alarming object.

Once they arrived, law enforcement officials soon realized the photo of the would-be gangster puss was nothing more than an optical illusion.

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The cat snapped in the photo was actually holding a tree branch that just looked a lot like a weapon, and the Newport Police Department reacted in style.

In a post on Facebook, the department wrote they issued the animal a "verbal warning."

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