Rhea Mahbubani

It's A Girl! Black Cat Spotted Skating Before Sharks Game is Doing Well, Renamed Jo Paw-velski

It's a girl! 

A black cat that surprised NHL fans in the Bay Area Friday and brought good luck to our home team, the San Jose Sharks, underwent something of an identity change Monday, but is in good health, the team announced Monday.

The small feline, who crept out of the player bench area Friday and scurried onto the ice before the Sharks defeated the Nashville Predators 5-2 at the SAP Center, was renamed Jo Paw-velski.

The cat, mistaken as a male, was initially named Joe Paw-velski, after Sharks captain Joe Pavelski.

As the Sharks warmed up for the first game of their best-of-seven playoff series, fans watched Joe making a beeline for an oversized, fiberglass shark head, only to escape under the seats at "the Shark Tank," as the arena is known.

The venue’s engineering staff was able to safely rescue the cat Sunday and Jo was taken to the Humane Society Silicon Valley for a health examination and microchip scan.

Although the Sharks didn't provide any information about her owner or if they even know who the person is, team officials on Monday said Jo is doing well at her temporary home. 

"We are pleased to hear that Jo is doing well at the Humane Society Silicon Valley," Sharks Chief Operating Officer John Tortora in a statement. "They have a fantastic facility for animals with an amazing staff. We are confident that Jo is receiving the best care possible and look forward to a happy resolution of the story when Jo is placed in a loving home."

Finnegan Dowling of the Humane Society said Jo is not of any special breed. "But she is the type of cat that helps hockey teams win games," she said.

Jo isn't up for adoption because shelter staff is trying to determine whether she has an owner and give the person time to claim her. If no one steps up by Friday, though, the animal shelter will begin the adoption process and oversee it.

Tortora said that a staggering number of people are interested in adopting Jo, a veritable Internet sensation.

"If [she] is indeed a stray, our goal is to find the best home for [her] with the support of our local animal shelters," Tortora said. "If families are interested in adopting [Jo] but unsuccessful, we strongly encourage you to consider adopting another animal in need of a good home from one of our terrific local animal shelters."

You can watch Jo via the Humane Society's live camera here

NBC Bay Area's Ryann Vargas contributed to this report.

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