This is a kitty. This is a leopard. See the difference?

What do you think about this?

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I have a pretty good idea where my black feline is right now.

Ava Marie Presley Robinson-Shoemaker is undoubtedly sleeping in a small white box near our front door.

Then again, she could be resting comfortably on the carpet with one paw in my high heel.

Or perhaps she is in bed after a long day of resting.

My kitty cat is surely not stalking around Harrison Twp. freaking people out.

Ava rarely ventures where Whisker Lickins cat treats are more than a paw’s length away.

This is probably a good thing, seeing that there have been multiple reports of a black leopard roaming free.

I am no animal migration expert, but I am guessing the black leopard that has been spotted multiple times in the past 16 months didn’t get to Harrison Twp. on his or her own.

Here’s a reporter’s deduction:

• Harrison Twp. is not in sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India or China.

• Neither the Columbus, Cincinnati nor Indianapolis zoos have reported “Madagascar”-style animal breakouts.

As the real animal experts have suggested, some idiot undoubtedly bought a cute black leopard cub and then turned it loose when it got big, greedy and leopard-ish.

The animal experts aren’t openly calling the leopard’s former human an idiot, mind you. Idiot is my word for this dunderhead.

If I can’t call someone who buys and sets free a 200-pound, dangerous wild animal an idiot, who can I call an idiot?

And I encourage local officials investigating the leopard sightings to look it up in the dictionary.

They will surely see the photo of the idiot who bought the leopard apparently unfazed by the fact that the San Diego Zoo says leopards kill with a swift bite to the throat.

This idiot apparently has never seen “Fatal Attractions” on Animal Planet.

Besides being adorable, the only thing a black leopard has in common with my Ava is that it likes to hunt at night.

While Ava stalks the delight in her automatic feeding bowl, black leopards roam the wooded area near the Stillwater River seeking fresh antelope meat.

Ava is a pet; the leopard — let’s call it Cha-Cha for fun — is not.

That some people don’t know the difference is confounding.

Earlier this year, then-Gov. Ted Strickland approved ownership restrictions and banned new private ownership of big cats, bears, primates, alligators, crocodiles, large constricting snakes and venomous snakes. The ban expired in April. Current-Governor John Kasich said the issue needs review.

Ohio had some of the nation’s weakest restrictions on exotic pets and was among the states with the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by these creatures, according to a 2010 Associated Press review.

The worse thing Ava can do is puke a hair ball on your newspaper.

Cha-Cha can bite your face off and drag your carcass up a tree to protect it from other carnivores.

The San Diego Zoo’s website includes the story of leopard who was seen dragging a 220-pound giraffe into heavy brush.

Ava could probably do that if she put her mind to it, which is why I always keep an eye on her.

Contact this columnist at arobinson@DaytonDailyNews.com or send her a tweet to Twitter.com/ddnsmartmouth.