- Cactus cat
The cactus cat is one of the
fearsome critters , a group of legendary, imaginary creatures in the folklore and traditions oflumberjack s and forest workers in the U.S. during the 19th and early 20th centuries, especially in Wisconsin and Minnesota. [Campbell, W.S. "Fearsome Critters", "Journal of American Folklore", 1941.] [Lee, H. "The Family Saga and Other Phases of American Folklore" "Journal of American Folklore", 1959.] Rose, Carol. W. W. Norton & Company, 2001. Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth, page 61.]The cactus cat was generally described being a
bobcat -like creature, covered in spines like aporcupine , with particularly long spines extending from the legs and its armored, branching tail. The creature was said to use its spines to slash cacti at night, allowing juice to run from the plants. On later nights, the creature was said to return to drink the now fermented juice. The then drunken creature was said to shriek throughout the night.As with other “Fearsome Critters”, the description served both to explain the strange noises of the forest at night and provide entertainment in the camps.
References
* O'Conner, Elizabeth. "Here There Were Dragons: New England's Forgotten Cryptozoological Phenomena". St. Paul, Minnesota: Llewellyn, 1994.
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