Report from Nick Wirsten
Mystery Cats- blame the Kellas
Published in the Southern Reporter, 18 th July 2002 and the Border Telegraph, 24 th July 2002
Letters to the Editor,
Sir,
As two of the owners of the missing cats from Parsonage Road in Galashiels, may we take the opportunity to inform our readers of our opinions and current developments in this mysterious case.After extensive research and discussion, we have formed the opinion that our cats have been the victims of a Kellas cat.
The Kellas was named after the town in Morayshire, where Thomas Christie shot and killed a large black cat, over 25 inches long, with a tail nearly a foot on top - a size that would be too large even for a domestic cat, and is indeed an enormous size even for a wildcat in its pure form. The cat was stuffed and can still be seen in the museum in Elgin.
Several other examples of Kellas cats can be seen alongside wildcats in the Royal museum in Edinburgh. These cats are larger than a domestic cat, have a long bushy tail, long legs and white guard hairs. This description matches several sightings of a mysterious black animal around this area recently.
The Kellas cat has been sighted on numerous occasions around the country and these sightings have sometimes coincided with the disappearance of domestic cats, and reports of unsettled dog behaviour during walks in the areas of the sightings.
As DNA tests (carried out by the University of Aberdeen) and Tomorrow's World respectively), have shown Kellas cats to be a hybrid of the domestic cat and the wildcat, the terrain around Gala Hill would provide a suitable environment.
We would suggest that if the Kellas cat follows the breeding pattern of a wildcat, that it could have a litter of kittens which would now be requiring growing amounts of food at this stage of growth, and that this is perhaps what has prompted this elusive creature to prey on domestic cats.
Two of the cats which have disappeared have been elderly. Two of the cats have been young and inexperienced, and the tom cat which has disappeared was involved in a ferocious fight with only traces of blood and hair left in the morning.
The selection of the more vulnerable cats would suggest that they have been a victim of a predatory hunter.
There have never been any reported incidents of Kellas cats harming humans and they have consistently proved elusive to those who wish to research them.
As animal lovers we would not condone harming these creatures, despite losing our much-loved pets. We have taken the precaution of keeping our remaining cats indoors at night and would advise others in the area to do the same in the meantime.
Perhaps your readers have further evidence to offer on the subject of the kellas cat, or other plausible solutions to the disappearance of five cats in four weeks? - We are, etc.,
Elaine McCarter and Morag Cameron,
Parsonage Road,
Galashiels.
Southern Reporter, 18 th July 2002, Border Telegraph, 24 th July 2002
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