A runaway pet tiger had a few frightening encounters with people on the streets of a city outside Houston before animal control officers finally caught it Thursday.

The tiger was spotted at a subdivision in Conroe, 40 miles north of Houston, wearing a collar and a leash.

The owner had taken the tiger to a friend's house as the city was gripped by flash floods -- and the tiger ran away after it made the trip, animal control officers told Fox News Friday.

Fortunately, the tiger was so tame it even jumped on the shoulders of one man.

Jonathan Gessner told KPRC-TV that while walking in the area he came across the big cat crouching in a menancing way.

"She runs up to me, jumped on me and put her paws on my shoulders and just starts licking my face like a dog. I thought it was pretty cool," Gessner told the station.

Believe it or not, it's legal to own a pet tiger in Texas.