Black cats?

[Graham]

Cats have been spotted for years. Now they're either very long-lived, keep breeding or someone keeps planting them. If they do exist why has one never been, shot, run over or died naturally and the remains found?

[ClimbMIT]

I live in the U.S. as well and have heard stories of these black cats but didn't believe them. Recently there was a picture on our local newspaper of one. They aren't as big as the Florida Panther but much larger than a domestic cat. Big enough where I don't want to come face to face with one. They are not native here and nobody is sure where they are from.

[luftwaffe]

Never seen one myself, but i have come across some rather large what seemed like big cat footprints in the mud about 15 years ago, they were bigger than a mans hand in size.

 

All i know its a good job that my black and white cat Throbbbing Gristle is not the same size as me because it wouldn't be safe to cross the room, he'd have me. I can see him licking his lips right now.

[likeitorlumpit]

Is it possible these big cats are in fact black labs- some can be quite sleek and some people do walk their dogs late evening.

[MattyF]

I saw one yesterday along the top of a nature reserve on the other side is a main road... The farmer who I rent my workshop off just as I was about to drive off said hey come and look at this and tell me I'm not mad... Sure enough it was stalking along the top of the hedgerow I estimate it was atleast double the size of a large domestic cat.. We watched for about 5 mins as it slowly walked the line with cars going past it.

David debated getting on his quad that he was on but new it would disappear but I recond if I went up the lane I up on to the main road I could get closer without spooking it as it did not seem bothered... Didn't work though I estimate I should of been within 60 m of it but it was gone by the time I got there.

I know of about 8 people who have seen it my old pub land lord had video footage of it as well on his pub CCTV camera... It's not the size of a panther but it's big!!

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

20 odd years ago a guy called Ed Snow appeared in the Gloucester Citizen Newspaper after cycling along a path and seeing a big black cat. Within a week a similar creature was sitting on the opposite pavement to my house at about 6am looking into a lavender bush. It had the proportions of a normal moggy except its back was 8-10" longer and its legs were longer! Head etc normal size. I told my Mum who also saw it and we 'phoned Ed Snow and had a chat. Some time after that another guy I knew (Mike Curtis) who walked his dogs in fields in the same area saw it. The End.

[Matthew Storrs]

About a year ago I was driving up a small road which goes over an open stretch of moorland on Dartmoor, about 100m in front of me a big black 'thing' crossed the road in front of me, It didn't move like a dog or anything far too sleek for that, Anyway I stopped the truck at the spot and got out but nothing was to be seen, fairly big gorse bushes around so I couldn't scan the area very well. My dad is a a sheep farmer on the same stretch of moorland, wev seen sheep teared apart dragged around the field before. might be dogs but who knows.

Many farmers around here report sightings of them, some im inclined to believe. but until I find a skeleton of one I'll never be positive.

[GardenKit]

About 20 years ago I saw something cross the road in my headlights, just like Dartmoor Rural, I could not be sure.

 

The next week, in the same place about 50 yds from home I saw in the lights as I came round the bend. It was startled for a few seconds and remained stationery, staring straight at me (or the lights) before bolting, so I got a good view.

 

It was a very large cat, around the size of a black lab, but no doubt it was feline.

 

As it was my home ground and I often see cats, badgers etc there I could be totally sure of its size.

 

Never seen it since.

 

So for me, I have seen a Ghost, a UFO and a Beast. What's next?... Fairies?

[PeteB]

I was recently with a client in the Ormskirk area and he had a huge domestic cat which had a tail that was longer than a standard BDM. I'm sure that, if you saw this thing walking across a field, it could be mistaken for something else! I think he called it an American Barn Cat.

[cousin jack]

Don't believe in them myself, how come never disturbed by shooters/beaters, hunts etc.

And I've spent hundreds of hours walking about by myself at night, lamping, never seen one yet.