Ball-Tailed Cats (& sub species) - [Fearsome Critter]

Ball-Tailed cats [& sub species] – (Latin: Felis candaglobosa.) 

• About this critter: A fair-sized feline with the dimensions of a wildcat but of a far more aggressive disposition, it has a hardy heavy, bony ball at the end of its tail, This species has the stealthy habit of lying out on a limb, and when the unsuspecting lumberjack passes beneath, the Cat drops on its victim and pounds him to death with the ball. - Felines of Similar disposition have been reported across the united states, perhaps the Ball-tailed cat is a less highly developed variant of the same phylum...

in general "Ball-tailed cats" are a sub category of the 'Wampus cat'-family of feline fearsome critters, those which have been described erroneously & briefly throughout North American History, literature and folklore. Most where reported during the late 1800s-early 1900s. Although they behave similarly to a point where one might consider them all to be relatives to each other; each ones modus operandi, method of attack, as well as their locations differ and that should not be overlooked! - Depending on the case, such critters might also tip-toe into proper 'Cryptid' status, so some may also categorize as 'Alien' or 'Phantom big cat' sightings depending. • A list of similarly described 'ball and club tailed feline critters' are as follows, you can find my sticker & biography fully detailing each by clicking through the "[X]"

• The club-tailed 'Sliver Cat' [of Wisconsin & elsewhere*] - [X]

• The heavy headed "Splinter cat" [of Oregon & Elsewhere.] - [X]

 • The 'Plunkus' or 'Dingmaul' [of Maine/Washington.] - [X]

• The Nine balled 'Santer' [of North Carolina.] - [X]

• The "Cactus Cat" [of the deserts & mesas of Americas southwest.] - [X]

• The Poisonous "Muglump." [found in 'low marshy woodlands.'] - [X]

[other 'ball tailed' critters include the "Zigmaul", "Duckfooted dumdum"  & the "club-tailed glyptodont." among others!] for more 'fearsome felines' see my sub category of "Wampus Cats."

• History: The earliest newspaper mention of an attack by a "Sliver cat" seems to be 1895, in Rozellville Wisconsin [below] - no doubt there are other cases to be found, but this is the earliest with a direct named mention that i could find.

[The earliest mention of a slivercat attack, 1895.] 

From said article, critters like 'Ball-tailed cats' likely originate in a similar vein to that of the Agropelter - that is that they are the result of workplace logging accidents and branches fatally dropping onto the heads of unsuspecting worker, otherwise they might be blamed when loggers 'vanish' whilst in the woods. - The subject was talked (& joked) about to the point where it became the stuff of a urban legends and eventually folklore. It's yet another case resulting of a situation where its easier to blame a travesty on a "monster" rather than to blaming the persons involved &/or the harsh work environment. (The Woods.) - perhaps you could also think about it as a manner of giving someone some dignity, it might be considered shameful to say your that your 'very manly lumberjack friend' was killed by a falling log, much more interesting to say that they died being struck by a "monster" whilst out in the woods...

[Definition of a 'wampus cat' from dialect notes - 1918.] -(Similarly it seems that 'Sliver-cats' where also slang for 'Splinters on stumps that made whistling noises') [lumberjack lingo 1986]

Henry H Tyron catalogued several in the family of 'ball-tailed cats' & other parallel critters from the time in "Fearsome Critters [1939] – I've added some other cases of 'big cat' critters  to the list above, his mention of the ball tailed cat goes as follows:

"THE BALL-TAILED CAT (Latin: Felis candaglobosa)

    In the early days this feline undoubtedly enjoyed a much wilder circulation than at present. Recent surveys indicate that it is now pretty well confined to Harney County, Oregon, and Sullivan County, Pennsylvania. A fair-sized animal of about the dimensions of a wildcat but with a far more aggressive disposition
    Its chief physical characteristic is a hardy heavy, bony ball on the end of its tail. The feet are clawed as with all true cats, making it an excellent climber; and this species has the stealthy habit of lying out on a limb, and when the unsuspecting lumberjack passes beneath, the Cat drops on its victim and pounds him to death with the ball. In the rutting season the male uses this instrument to call the female by drumming on a hollow log.
    This species has occasioned much discussion and peppery argument. It has often been confused with both the Silver Cat and the Dingmaul. A careful Study of the equipment and habits of the three species shows plainly that they are, by no means the same. It is quite possible that they are all distantly related; perhaps the Ball-tailed boy is a less highly developed variant of the same phylum."

Art sticker by samkalensky part of my fearsome critters collection of stickers.