Seeing an open door, a mountain lion sauntered into a California home before managing to lock itself inside a bathroom.

The incident was detailed by Edward and Kathy Sudduth, of Sonora, Colorado, who told local news that they initially thought the large cat that entered their living room while they were watching TV was a neighbour’s pet.

But, moments later, what was happening registered they said, before the mountain lion itself was tapped by Mr Sudduth, sending it careening into the bathroom.

“His tail was pretty close to me so I just ‘thwipped’ it a little,” Mr Sudduth, 87, told local news channel KTXL.

The touch, and noise from the pair, apparently sent the cat running. Then, worried for their own safety, the two humans barricaded themselves in another room and called 911.

“911 had a hard time understanding what I was talking about because I probably was jabbering a lot,” Mr Sudduth said, recalling the call to emergency services.

Police would later decline to charge the cat for breaking and entering, after officers broke into the bathroom through a window to help remove him.

But, the cat did get a talking to, the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office joked on Facebook, saying he “did get a stern warning about the break-in before being released”.

Mountain lions are not considered a threat to humans, unless they are provoked or already exhibiting aggressive behaviour.