Alligator found next to two dead cats in Los Angeles home

A 2.5m alligator has been seized from a suburban backyard in Los Angeles, where it was found beside two cat carcasses.

Homeowner Laura Mattson said she had been caring for the reptile for almost four decades, after it joined her family through her late husband Jim, CBS news reports.

Authorities believe the alligator, named Jaxton, was being fed feral cats.

Ms Mattson denied this, saying the animal had been handfed hot dogs and chicken.

A criminal investigation is now underway as it is illegal to keep wildlife without a permit in LA.

"I understand now it's not legal, but when it becomes a pet, it becomes your family," said Ron Gorecki, Ms Mattson's brother.

"When it becomes your family, you protect the pet and the people involved. That's all there is to it."

Animal services officials have asked local residents who have lost small pets at any time over the past 40 years to contact them.

The alligator has been impounded and its fate is yet to be decided.