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

---

The Myth

The Earth Cat is an underground wildcat believed by the people of the Ural Mountains to guard hidden treasures beneath the earth.

One of its best-known appearances is in Pavel Bazhov’s tale “Cat’s Ears.” In the story, a girl named Dunyakha encounters what first appears to be two mysterious fires with a small mound between them that resembles a cat’s head. As she watches, the fiery “ears” grow larger, then shift aside as if the cat is moving. The strange apparition is said to appear in places where copper and gold lie buried underground.

The Earth Cat is described as a supernatural manifestation of the underground world rather than an ordinary animal. It is closely associated with hidden mineral wealth, appearing above deposits of valuable ore while silently guarding the treasures beneath the earth.

---

Sources

“Земляная кошка (Zemlyanaya Koshka).” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed July 28, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/zemljanaja-koshka

---