Salem is a city unafraid to embrace its mystical history, with a downtown thoroughfare full of psychics and gift shops like Crow Haven Corner, and historical tours chronicling the Salem witch trials from companies like Black Cat Tours.

So it wasn’t completely shocking when, for a brief moment this morning, it appeared the city had an excess amount of cats, thanks to an errant tweet from the Salem Police Department.

The parking ban ends at 10am. Please remove cats from school lots asap. — Salem MA Police (@SalemMAPolice) March 21, 2016

While attempting to inform residents that the city was ending the snow-fueled parking ban at 10 a.m., the Salem Police fell victim to the modern black magic known as auto-correct.


Naturally, the jokes poured in.

@SalemMAPolice Are dogs allowed to stay? — DarrenBene (@DarrenBene) March 21, 2016

@SalemMAPolice I mean, I'll try and get my cats to leave but the mice are just going to come back — BAER (@TheGreatDanBaer) March 21, 2016

@SalemMAPolice but I just found the purrfect parking spot. — Elliott Rantoul (@RantoulElliott) March 21, 2016

The Department quickly fixed their error, and everyone had a good laugh.