GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – No, recently reported calls to the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) weren’t in response to cat burglars. But there were cats involved. The Happy Cat Cafe, Holiday Inn and a Grand Rapids restaurant were all targets of someone who called 911 and falsely reported serious crimes. These calls are being described as swatting incidents. What is swatting? It’s when someone calls 911 anonymously to report a fake emergency or a serious crime at a specific address.

A spokesperson for the GRPD said that these kind of prank calls tie up the police and emergency responders and also create confusion around the reported locations. He also warned of rumors and “misinformation” being spread online throughout the affected community.

MORE NEWS: Michigan DNR Pulls Swim Buoys as Season Wraps Up

GRPD Captain P.J. Baker said to the media, “What that creates for us is a large-scale response. Patrol comes from all over the city to start working out the scene or this incident. The folks at these businesses or running these businesses have no idea that police have even been called.”

Such was the case at the Happy Cat Cafe where a birthday party for a 10-year-old was taking place in the cat room while someone had called 911 to report an active shooter on the scene.

General manager Anthony Quarto told WOOD-TV, “The police actually called our barista…and asked if there was a shooting…The director of the rescue we partner with, she was actually on her way in with two cats and there was armed officers out there with their rifles out, you know, due to the severity of the call.”

Quarto wants police to be focusing on real emergencies instead of responding to fake calls. He told WZZM-13, “We don’t appreciate that, like, the police have enough on their hands. They don’t need to be wasting their resources on prank calls.”

The Happy Cat Cafe is a place where the community can drink coffee and also mingle with adorable cats. It’s also described as a woman/LGBTQ+ owned and operated coffee shop. The cafe mostly requires reservations to see the cats but will accept walk-ins if there is capacity in the cat room.

The Happy Cat Cafe partners with a local animal rescue group, Fig and Friends Pet Rescue, a non-profit organization who started only last year. They handle the adoptions of the cats. About a month ago, the shelter spoke with WZZM-13 and told them that they have about 150 cats in their foster care system ready to be adopted. They are over-capacity and need more fosters – so the cat cafe is a great way to put cats and possible future fosters or adopters together. But it’s not the kind of place that needs the stress and aggravation of a swatting incident. And neither are the other Grand Rapids’ businesses that had to deal with the fake reports.

MORE NEWS: Detroit Wants Land Bank to Answer Tough Questions

The GRPD press release said, “The staff at the downtown Holiday Inn, one of the recent victims, did a very good job of communicating factual information to first responders and to their guests/customers in a timely manner to calm fears and return to business as usual shortly after the call was proven to be false. This is an opportunity for local businesses to review (or prepare) their emergency response plans, including how to respond if a false report is made.”

The police have warned the community to be aware of the calls and to take them seriously until proven to be false. I’s unknown if the calls were related or if the same person made all of the swatting calls. To date, no one has been charged in the swatting incidents.