i saw it again out the window tonight...
it's definitely too small to be a cougar, but the tail is too big to be a house cat.
it might be a fisher.
this is outside the fisher range, though. hrmmn. it's in the "historic range".
it could have been a pet. either way, i don't think it's cause for concern. there's my "testing" and neutralizing...
i mean, fishers are violent, nasty things. no doubt. but they're not powerful enough to pose me a serious threat the way a mountain lion would...