Cactus Cat
thumb|221px|The "cactus cat" as it appears in Fearsome critters 1910|alt=">thumb|221px|The "cactus cat" as it appears in Fearsome critters 1910|alt= thumb|Fearsome Critters 1939">
thumb|Fearsome Critters 1939 The Cactus Cat (Cactifelinus inebrius) is a mythical creature and Fearsome Critters|Fearsome Critter that has been reported in the American Southwest. It's described as a bobcat-like animal with thorn-like fur, sharp bones protruding from its front legs and a branched tail. The Cactus Cat has been sighted in the Southwestern desert, in states such as California, Nevada and New Mexico with a few sightings in Colorado. Cowboys and pioneers of the nineteenth century made up tales these strange beasts coming out at night, slashing open cacti exposing the sap. On later nights, the creature was said to drink the fermented juice. This caused the cats to enter an intoxicated state, stumbling around and rarely attacking travelers. Attacks by these strange varmint, though considered rare, did happen from time to time, with many frontiersmen waking up to find welts on their body from the cat's barbed tail. Despite these attacks, the Cactus Cat was not considered an aggressive creature (except toward cacti). The critter was also known to have a unique and haunting "wail" that could be heard at night through the darkened desert, along with the dry sound of its bones rubbing together. In Fearsome Creatures (2015)the descendant of the Wampus Cat and the Ball-Tailed Cat. The cat is remade to be the same but bigger and with a ball at the end of the tail that has spikes on it and on the Cactus Cat's tongue. The Cactus Cat is also no longer extinct in the book, like with the Roperite. The Cactus Cat does not like humans stealing cactus sap to be made as a syrup alternate, and kills those who did. The scientific name is Wampus bibulus. thumb|Cactus Cat as it appears in Fearsome critters 2015 - note that it looks more like a [[Ball-Tailed Cat|ball-tailed cat">
thumb|Cactus Cat as it appears in Fearsome critters 2015 - note that it looks more like a [[Ball-Tailed Cat|ball-tailed cat. ]]
Explanations
The story of the Cactus Cat is probably fueled by numerous cases of misidentification, most likely being a bobcat, mountain lion or porcupine. The cat's "wail" may have also been that of a puma. It is also likely that the affable Cactus Cat was never believed to exist and, like most Fearsome Critters, was a product of a few bored woodsmen on a warm desert night.In Popular Media
Further reading
[http://www.lib.lumberwoods.org/fclw/cactuscat "The Cactus Cat" from Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods (1910) by William T. Cox] [http://www.lib.lumberwoods.org/fc/cactuscat "The Cactus Cat" from Fearsome Critters (1939) by Henry H. Tryon]Gallery
<p style="line-height: 1.5em;"><gallery position="center"> For cryptid wiki.jpg|Art by [http://www.freaksmutantsandmonsters.com/2009/09/cactus-cat Hawanja] Cactus cat.png Image98.jpg|A depiction of an intoxicated Cactus Cat by Richard Svensson Cactus Cat, William Rebsamen.jpg|A painting of the Cactus Cat by William Rebsamen Cactuscat1.jpg|A w:c:secretsaturdays:Cactus Cat|Cactus Cat in The Secret Saturdays E574113dc006180229b9eef76db50538.jpg|Illustration by [https://korybing.tumblr.com/post/32480891665 Kory Bing], for the [https://seananmcguire.com/fgcactus.php Price Family Field Guide] for the w:c:incryptid:Cactus cat|Cactus Cat Cactus-cat.jpg|Rendering of Cactus Cat from abookofcreatures.com
</gallery></p>
{{NavFearsomeCritters}}Category:North America (Minus Mexico and Caribbean)>Category:North America (Minus Mexico and Caribbean) Category:Feline>Category:Feline Category:Fearsome Critters>Category:Fearsome Critters Category:Herbivores>Category:Herbivores Category:California>Category:California Category:Omnivores>Category:Omnivores Category:Hoax>Category:Hoax Category:Tall Tale>Category:Tall Tale Category:Cryptids>Category:Cryptids Category:Cryptid Wiki>Category:Cryptid Wiki Category:Horned>Category:Horned Category:Cryptid>Category:Cryptid Category:Plantae>Category:Plantae Category:Carnivores>Category:Carnivores Category:North America>Category:North America