Cat spotted lad in tangle with rope (7)

I believe the answer is:

leopard

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'cat' is the definition.
(I know that leopard is a type of cat)

'lad in tangle with rope' is the wordplay.
'in tangle with' indicates anagramming the letters.
'lad' with its letters anagrammed with 'rope' can make 'LEOPARD'.

'spotted' is the link.
I am not very happy about this link. It may belong to another bit of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for leopard that I've seen before include "dangerous when free" , "Spotted beast" , "Spotted big cat" , "Panther" , "Spotted feline" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sun.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.