Buzz
What is it about cats that gives them such an air of intrigue? The Egyptians held them in reverence, the Europeans feared them, and the Japanese feared they might suddenly walk on two legs and start speaking. Across various cultures, there seems to be a shared belief: Cats are touched by something otherworldly.
10. Cait Sith
Cait sith translates to “fairy cat.” This mystical creature is as large as a young calf, completely black except for a white mark on its chest. The Irish regarded it as a fairy being, while the Scots believed it was a witch transformed. Legend says that a cait sith is a witch who can turn into a cat up to nine times, but after the ninth transformation, she is doomed to remain a cat forever.
If a black cat crossed over the body of the deceased, the Scots thought it meant that a cait sith had arrived to steal the soul before it could cross to the afterlife. To protect the body until burial, people kept watch around the clock, engaging in wrestling matches and jumping contests, believing the cait sith would stop to observe them.
As another trick, they would present a riddle with no answer, thinking the cait sith would stop and take time to consider it. Additionally, no fires were permitted in the room with the body, as the cait sith might be attracted to the warmth.
Sightings of the cait sith in reality have been linked to the Scottish Kellas cat, a hybrid of wildcats and domestic cats. Large and black, these Kellas cats are known to be untamable.
9. Cactus Cat
Around a century ago, legends circulated about mischievous felines called cactus cats, roaming the vast deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. These creatures, about the size of domestic cats, were covered in spiny needles, and cactus-like growths sprouted from their tails and ears.
The cactus cat consumed the juice of cacti, but not in the way one might expect. It would cut the base of a cactus and let the sap collect, but instead of drinking it, it would move on to the next cactus and repeat the process. Over several days, it would complete a circular route.
By the time it reached the first cactus again, the juices would have fermented into alcohol. After consuming the fermented liquid, the cat would drunkenly wander into the night, howling loudly, slashing at anything in its way, and leaving painful welts on any cowboys who crossed its path. Sadly, the cactus cats' constant intoxication made it easy for cowboys to hunt them to extinction.
8. Ball-Tailed Cats
The ball-tailed cat is a wild feline believed to have inhabited the northern United States. Resembling an ankylosaurus, this cat uses the massive bone ball at the end of its tail to strike its prey with tremendous force.
This cat spends its days lounging on tree branches, waiting for an unsuspecting target to pass by below. It then drops down and crushes its prey with the bone ball at the tip of its tail. During mating season, males communicate with females by drumming on hollow logs using their tails.
A similar wildcat to the ball-tailed cat is the sliver cat, which roams the southern United States. Unlike the ball-tailed cat, the sliver cat has a much longer, rope-like tail, with a ball at the end that is smooth on one side and barbed on the other. Like the ball-tailed cat, it waits in trees for its prey to pass below.
Rather than using a drop-and-smash technique, sliver cats knock their target on the head with the smooth side of the ball. Once the prey is disoriented, the cat digs its barbs into the victim and drags them up into the tree.
7. Troll Cat
The Scandinavians believed that a troll cat served as the special helper of a witch. Witches would craft troll cats using various items such as sticks burned at both ends, spindles wrapped in wool, and stockings. After applying three drops of blood to the troll cat, a witch would recite an incantation, petitioning Satan to grant life to the creature.
Troll cats could either take the form of a cat or a rolling ball resembling yarn. Witches commanded these troll cats to sneak into nearby farms, where they would steal milk directly from cows. Once bloated with milk, the troll cat would return to its mistress's home and regurgitate the milk into a trough.
Occasionally, troll cats would also steal wool, but their primary role was to acquire milk for witches. Scandinavians believed that if you shot a troll cat, the wound would spill milk. The witch would suffer from any injury inflicted on the troll cat.
Taking advantage of the widespread belief in troll cats, gypsies deceived farmers by poisoning their cattle and hiding a “troll cat” on their property. The next day, the gypsies would appear, claiming to cure the cattle by banishing the troll cat for a fee.
6. Cabbit
The cabbit is a crossbreed between a cat and a rabbit. It was first reported by Joseph Train during his visit to the Isle of Man, an island situated between England and Ireland. However, researchers concluded that such a hybrid was genetically impossible.
What Train actually saw was a Manx cat, a breed with a bobtail resembling that of a rabbit. The Manx cat also has hind legs longer than its front ones, giving it a distinctive hopping movement.
In 1977, a man named Val Chapman claimed to have discovered a white “cabbit” with pink eyes in New Mexico. He showcased the creature at a shopping mall in Los Angeles and even brought it on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson twice.
Although scientists later concluded that Chapman’s cabbit was merely a cat with genetic mutations, the belief in the creature had already spread. Across the United States, people began to claim they had encountered their own cabbits.
5. Bakeneko
Bakeneko are mystical cats from Japanese folklore. When a bakeneko is young, it behaves like an ordinary house cat. However, as it matures, it starts to acquire extraordinary abilities. Typically, at around 12 or 13 years old, a bakeneko begins to walk on its hind legs like a human and can even speak and comprehend human language.
Mature bakeneko can transform into human form, and a malevolent bakeneko might consume its owner and assume her identity. However, not all of these aged cats are sinister; some are playful and enjoy dancing with napkins on their heads.
Even the gentler bakeneko still cause mischief. Their tails possess fiery magic that can ignite anything flammable they touch. Older bakeneko also have the power to raise zombie minions, so an unfortunate owner may wake to find their deceased neighbors spilling milk all over the kitchen.
In the past, superstitious Japanese feared that their cats might turn into bakeneko, so some cats were abandoned once they reached a certain age. Another belief was that cats with longer tails were becoming supernatural, prompting owners to shorten their cats’ tails to prevent this transformation.
4. Nekomata
As bakeneko age, they grow increasingly monstrous. When they reach a certain stage of life, their tail splits into two, signaling their transformation into a new entity known as a nekomata.
While bakeneko may sometimes be good, all nekomata are evil and will not hesitate to consume humans. Skilled in speech, they blackmail and threaten people into obeying their commands. The most terrifying aspect of nekomata is their ability to torment humans by showing them images of their deceased loved ones.
The most powerful nekomata are said to dwell in the mountains. Descriptions of them depict beings with the eyes of a cat and the body of a dog, though they have the ability to shapeshift into any form they choose. Some individuals claim to have encountered these creatures firsthand.
The legends of the nekomata may have originated from stories of sorcerer cats from China that eventually made their way to Japan. These tales likely mixed with actual sightings of large cats in the wild, giving birth to the myth of the nekomata.
3. Big Ears
In Scottish folklore, the fearsome cat known as Big Ears is believed to be the descendant of Irusan, the mythical king of cats. The Scots thought Big Ears possessed the ability to grant wishes, leading pagan conjurers to perform a gruesome ritual to summon him.
For several days, they roasted live cats over a fire, hoping to attract an army of demonic yowling cats. At the forefront of this eerie group was Big Ears, whom the conjurers believed could either fulfill their wishes or predict their futures.
This brutal ritual continued into the 17th century, despite being denounced by the church. The final known instance of cat roasting took place in March 1824, and it was described in detail by a London newspaper.
If the roasters were truly eager to encounter Big Ears, perhaps they should have tried looking at the Stone of the Devil Cat. Every Halloween, a cat resembling Big Ears is said to appear there, accompanied by his loyal feline followers. However, the last person who attempted to seek him out nearly lost his life to a vicious clawing.
2. Guardians Of The Otherworld
The belief in mystical cats from the Egyptians spread to their Roman conquerors, who then brought this belief to the Celts. The Celts soon regarded cats as the guardians of the otherworld, but their role went beyond the spiritual realm.
The Cave of the Cats, a hellmouth in Ireland, is thought to be a physical gateway that leads deep into the Earth, opening into the otherworld. On Samhain (Halloween), it was believed that terrifying creatures would emerge from the cave to haunt the night.
In myth, the legendary hero Cuchulain once tamed wildcats that attacked him as they emerged from the cave. While the cave itself is real, don’t expect to find a literal path to hell. When utility workers set up a pole above the entrance, a section of the cave collapsed, sealing the tunnel off.
1. Splinter Cat
The splinter cat is a cryptid believed to inhabit the wooded areas of North America. Unlike most stealthy felines, this creature is known for being loud, clumsy, and rather dull-witted. It uses its tough skull to crash through trees.
A splinter cat’s sharp claws allow it to scale trees with ease, while its bulky hind legs enable it to leap from tree to tree. Its wedge-shaped face is perfect for breaking trees apart. These cats are often found in areas where the trees appear to have been damaged by a storm.
The splinter cat is a creature of the night, preferring to hunt during rainstorms when its boisterous movements are masked by the storm’s noise. It feeds on raccoons and bees, tearing apart hollow trees to reach their nests. Lacking the ability to pinpoint which trees contain prey, the splinter cat carelessly charges through the forest like a wild bull, occasionally stopping to shake the cobwebs from its fur.
