Cat

Onça-Boi

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Tradition: Brazilian Mythology
Alternative names: Onça-Boi
Category: Cat, Cow

The Myth

The Onça-Boi is a creature of Amazonian folklore whose existence is said to have been reported by fishermen, hunters, and bushmen travelling through the forests.

The creature resembles a jaguar, but possesses the physical characteristics of cattle: hooves and horns.

Unlike ordinary jaguars, which generally hunt alone, Onças-Bois are said to always hunt in pairs. The two creatures work together to corner their prey, which is primarily made up of hunters who encounter them in the wilderness.

When pursued by a pair of Onças-Bois, a hunter’s best immediate chance of survival is to climb a tree. However, the creatures are patient hunters. They take turns watching their trapped victim, waiting beneath the tree until exhaustion, hunger, or sleep causes the hunter to fall.

According to the legend, there is only one reliable way to survive an encounter with a hungry pair: kill one of the Onças-Bois.

Once one of the creatures is killed, the surviving Onça-Boi immediately flees, abandoning the hunt.

Sources

“Onça-Boi.” Mythus Wiki. Fandom. Accessed August 29, 2026. https://mythus.fandom.com/wiki/On%C3%A7a-Boi

Plague Kätzlein

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Tradition / Region: Swiss Mythology
Alternative names: The Little Cat
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Kätzlein appears as an ordinary little cat that can speak with a human voice. It serves as the manifestation or messenger of the Great Death, the invisible force responsible for the plague.

According to the legend, many centuries ago the plague was brought into the mountains of Valais by mysterious Pest People. The Great Death wandered invisibly through the land, killing countless people in villages such as Richelsmatt and Lauinen. Entire families perished overnight, and so many people died that cattle could wander from farm to farm without finding anyone alive.

When the plague reached the village of Ernen, the district governor Michel Tschampen fled deep into the isolated Rappental valley, believing he could escape the invisible destroyer. The plague worsened in Ernen, and during a council meeting the Great Death cried out from the nearby forest that it would not leave Ernen until the little man hiding in Rippbei had come out.

Villagers were immediately sent to bring Michel Tschampen back, but he escaped once more and hid in an abandoned mountain hut at Grindbiel, convinced that no one would ever find him there. Relieved, he settled into his refuge, believing he had finally escaped the plague.

The following morning, as he stood at the window enjoying the peaceful mountain landscape, a little cat appeared outside, meowing pitifully and asking to be let in. Feeling glad to have another living creature nearby, Michel opened the window. The cat leapt onto the windowsill, climbed onto his shoulder, rubbed affectionately against his face, and suddenly spoke the words, Rippbei little man, now it is time.

The cat immediately disappeared through the window without leaving a trace. Michel instantly understood that the Great Death itself had visited him. A deadly chill spread through his body, and he realized he had been infected. Already gravely ill, he struggled back to the village of Ernen. As soon as he entered the village, he died. From that very moment, the plague began to subside, and within a few days the Great Death disappeared from Ernen forever.

Sources

“Das Kätzlein.” SAGEN.at – Schweizer Sagen und Heldengeschichten. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/allgemein/kaetzlein.html

Heksenkat van Kessel

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Tradition / Region: Belgian Mythology
Alternative names: Witch Cat of Kessel
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Heksenkat appears as one of a group of ordinary-looking cats that secretly gather at night to perform eerie round dances. In reality, these cats are witches in animal form, and injuries inflicted upon them carry over to their human bodies.

According to the legend, a farmer in Kessel could never keep a farmhand for more than a day or two. Every servant abruptly left without explaining why. Eventually, the farmer decided to hire no one else, but one day a respectable young man insisted so strongly on working for him that the farmer reluctantly agreed.

On his first night, the servant was awakened by the sight of numerous cats dancing in a circle inside his room. Terrified, he remained still and said nothing to the farmer the following morning. Instead, he secretly armed himself with a large chopping knife before going to bed the next evening.

When the dancing cats returned, the servant calmly called out, Here, kitty. One of the cats approached him, and he hurled the blade, severing both of its front legs.

The next morning the farmer was horrified to discover his wife lying in bed covered in blood, both of her arms horribly cut off. The servant immediately gathered his belongings and fled.

Only then did the farmer realize the truth. His wife had been a witch who transformed herself into a cat each night to frighten away every servant, explaining why none of them had ever remained on the farm for long.

Sources

De Cock, Alfons. Vlaamsche sagen uit den volksmond. Amsterdam: Maatschappij voor Goede en Goedkoope Lectuur, 1921, p. 36.

Sibylle’s Giant Cats

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Tradition / Region: German Mythology
Alternative names: Giant Cats of the Sibylle of Teck
Category: Cat

The Myth

The giant cats of Sibylle are two enormous felines strong enough to pull a golden chariot through the air. They serve the mysterious Sibylle, a wise woman who lived in an underground palace beneath the Teck cliffs.

According to the legend, Sibylle dwelled deep within the Sibylle Cave at the foot of the Teck mountain. She was renowned for her wisdom and kindness, and anyone who climbed the steep path to her hidden palace seeking help was never turned away.

Her three sons, however, were nothing like their mother. Known as Unhold, Raufbold, and Saufbold, they became cruel robbers who built their own castles on nearby hills. From these strongholds they terrorized farmers and plundered merchants traveling through the valley.

Heartbroken by the wickedness of her sons, Sibylle decided to abandon both her underground palace and the land forever. One evening she departed in a magnificent golden chariot drawn through the sky by two gigantic cats. She was never seen again.

The people believed that the route taken by the flying chariot could still be seen each year when the crops began to ripen. Along its path, the meadows remained greener, the grain produced larger ears, and the apples, pears, and cherries grew sweeter and more abundant than elsewhere. This fertile strip became known as the Sibylle Trail.

Later investigations revealed that the legendary trail followed the remains of the ancient Roman Limes. The filled defensive ditches created unusually fertile soil, giving rise to the enduring belief that the giant cats of Sibylle had blessed the land as they carried their mistress away forever.

Sources

“Die Sage von der Sibylle von der Teck.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus Deutschland (Baden-Württemberg). Accessed July 28, 2026. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/deutschland/baden_wuerttemberg/sibyllevonderteck.html

Tanzende Katzen

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Tradition / Region: Swiss Mythology
Alternative names: Dancing Cats, Witches’ Cats
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Tanzende Katzen appear as four dark-colored cats that gather at night to dance in circles. They are not ordinary felines but witches who have transformed themselves into cats to conceal their true identities.

According to the legend, the people of Zug believed that witches could assume the forms of various animals in order to move about unnoticed and trouble their neighbors. On the Geißweid, below what is now the Capuchin monastery, four dark cats were said to assemble on many moonless nights. There they performed noisy ring dances across the meadow, disturbing everyone living nearby.

Eventually the nightly gatherings became too much for the townspeople. A brave young man hid behind a wall with a musket and waited for the mysterious dancers to appear. When the four cats began their strange dance once again, he fired into the group and struck one of the cats in its hind foot.

The following morning, the wife of the town’s ruling magistrate was suddenly found limping. According to the legend, she had been one of the witch cats dancing on the Geißweid, and the wound she suffered in her feline form had carried over to her human body, revealing her secret identity.

Sources

“Tanzende Katzen.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus der Schweiz (Kanton Zug). Accessed July 28, 2026. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/zug/katzen.html

Mulderskat

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternative names: Miller’s Cat, Witch Cat
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Mulderskat appears as a large black cat with glowing yellow or green eyes. Unlike an ordinary cat, it can speak in a human voice and serves as the animal form of a witch. Although it behaves like a normal feline, injuries inflicted upon the cat are reflected on the witch after she resumes her human form.

According to the legend, a miller living in Veendam could never keep a farmhand for very long. Every servant eventually abandoned the mill because the miller’s wife was secretly believed to be a witch.

One night, a new farmhand climbed onto the mill to turn its cap into the wind. There he found a large cat sitting in the darkness, its eyes shining brightly. To his surprise, the cat spoke to him, warning him that the Wicked Bonde would soon arrive.

Unlike the previous servants, the young man was not afraid. Realizing that the strange animal was a witch in disguise, he grabbed a piece of wood and struck the cat with a powerful blow. Crying out in pain, the cat fled into the darkness.

The following morning, the miller’s wife could not get out of bed. Her head was heavily bandaged, bearing the same wound that the cat had received the night before. Forced to explain herself, she admitted that she had inherited witchcraft from her mother and begged the doctor to free her from the curse.

The doctor knew of an old remedy. On a dark evening, the woman had to travel to the Wildeveld, where three ancient hollow willow trees stood beside a meadow. Wearing a gray woolen cap, she had to lure a mysterious owl that lived inside one of the hollow trees. The owl had to scratch the cap from her head, for only then could the witchcraft be removed.

After recovering from her wounds, the miller’s wife followed the doctor’s instructions. She went to the old willow trees and whistled until the owl landed on her cap and clawed it from her head. The owl immediately carried the cap into its hollow tree and disappeared.

No one ever discovered what became of the cap, but from that day onward, the miller’s wife was cured of her witchcraft, and the strange speaking Mulderskat was never seen again.

Sources

Ter Laan, K. Groninger volksleven. I. Verhalende folklore. Groningen: J.B. Wolters, 1959. 1st ed.

Koszki

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Tradition / Region: Polish Mythology
Alternative names: —
Category: Cat

The Myth

Koszki are malicious creatures that resemble ordinary cats at first glance. Their bodies are covered in thick, dark fur, with pointed ears, long tails, and loud meows.

Anyone who unknowingly allows one into the house is said to suffer a terrible fate. The monsters steal healthy infants from their cradles and leave behind their own hideous, emaciated offspring in their place, as if mocking the family.

For this reason, people were warned to watch every cat that entered the home, especially black cats. If a cat’s face appeared old and disturbingly human instead of feline, and if its paws looked like grasping, bony human hands rather than claws, it was no ordinary animal but a Koszek.

The proper response was to seize a sturdy wooden club and beat the demonic creature until it fled or was destroyed.

Sources

Zych, Paweł, and Witold Vargas. Bestiariusz słowiański. Część pierwsza i druga. Warsaw: Bosz, 2017.

Brommende Katten

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternative names: Demonic Cats, Witch Cats
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Brommende Katten appear as two unusually large and aggressive cats that block lonely roads after dark. They refuse to move aside, attack anyone who challenges them, and possess supernatural strength far beyond that of ordinary cats. Like many spectral animals in Dutch folklore, they can only be driven away by silver.

According to the legend, a farmhand was returning home late one evening to his farm near Hoeksmeer when he found two large cats sitting in the middle of the road. The animals growled continuously and refused to let him pass, as though the road belonged entirely to them.

Growing impatient, the farmhand picked up a stone to drive them away, but it had no effect. Instead, one cat leapt directly at his chest while the other clung to his trousers. He drew his iron knife to defend himself, but the weapon proved completely useless against the creatures. The cats were so fierce that he feared they would tear him apart.

In desperation, he searched his pockets and found nothing except a single silver quarter coin. The moment he grasped the coin, the situation changed. The cats suddenly lost their courage and fled as quickly as they had appeared.

The farmhand later learned that ordinary iron could not harm such supernatural cats, but silver possessed the power to overcome them. Had he carried a silver knife instead of an iron one, it would have served just as well. Thanks only to the silver coin in his pocket, he escaped the attack of the demonic cats unharmed.

Sources

Ter Laan, K. Groninger volksleven. I. Verhalende folklore. Groningen: J.B. Wolters, 1959. 1st ed.

Kav

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Tradition / Region: Bezhtin mythology, Russian Mythology
Alternative names: None recorded
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Kav appears as a shaggy creature completely covered in hair with the face of a cat, but without whiskers. It is the restless spirit of a recently deceased person who lived an unrighteous life and rose from the grave after death.

According to Bezhtin tradition, the Kav wanders through abandoned villages, ruined houses, barns, and haylofts. Those unfortunate enough to encounter it are overwhelmed by terror, and the creature is said to frighten its victims so severely that they may be driven into madness or even die from the encounter. It is regarded as an evil undead spirit that continues to haunt the living after emerging from its grave.

Sources

“Кав (Kav).” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed July 28, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/Kav

Calygreyhound

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Tradition / Region: English Mythology
Alternative names: None known
Category: Cat, Deer

The Myth

The Calygreyhound is a fantastical beast with the head of a wildcat, the body of a deer or antelope, the foreclaws of an eagle, ox hooves, antlers or horns, the hind legs of a lion or ox, and the tail of either a lion or a poodle. In rare depictions, it also possesses eagle’s wings.

Unlike many legendary creatures, the Calygreyhound has no surviving myths or folktales describing its deeds or adventures. It appears exclusively in medieval heraldry, most notably as a heraldic supporter of the de Vere family, Earls of Oxford, during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was traditionally associated with speed and swiftness, and its appearance varied considerably between artistic depictions, suggesting it was an entirely imaginative heraldic creation rather than a creature from popular legend.

Sources

“Calygreyhound.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calygreyhound