Non-native Cat Sightings in Scotland in 2003

Non-native Cat Sightings in 2003
Date	Location	Description	Activity	Report
3 rd January	By Tayport, Fife	Large black cat "size of tiger".	Cat blinded in headlights of a car.
4 th January	A92 near Ladybank, Fife	Large jet black cat, size large labrador, very long tail.	Crossed road in front of motorist.
6 th January	Kintore, Aberdeenshire	"Mountain lion", fur sandy coloured, four foot long, two foot tail, seen face on.	Seen at seven yards by female motorist.
9 th January	between Cuplahills and Lucklaw, Fife	Huge black cat, very long body, long tail, body close to ground. At least twice the size of witnesses' labrador dog.	Seen by dog walker at 50 yards. Watched for 5 minutes crossing field.
9 th January	nr Stewarton, East Ayrshire	Large black cat, very muscular looking, very long thick tail, about the size of a greyhound.	Seen entering wooded area by female witness. Large dog attacked in area several weeks before.
10 th January	nr Caputh, Perthshire and Kinross	"puma", dark tawny colour	Seen walking up a banking. Pug mark photographed.
13 th January	between Garmouth and Lhanbryde in the Muir of Lochs, Moray	brownish on top, lighter below, head about 2 1/2 feet high and "smaller than a panther", tail not seen	Seen for 2 mins by driver at 7-8 ft, carrying dead animal.
17 th January	Balmullo quarry, Fife	Very dark black/brown, 4' in long including long tail which dropped towards the ground then turned up at end, very pointed ears with noticeable black tips or tufts, white or grey face.	Crossed path in front of truck driver. Sightings by Scottish Big Cats members here in 1999.
18 th January	A91 by Dollar, Clackmannanshire	"Black panther", 2 feet in height, body 3 feet long and a very long, thick tail.	Seen by two witnesses. Crossed road in from of car..
about 21 st January	Ayrshire	Larger than springer spaniel, smaller than German SH pointer, approx 25-30 kg, grey coat, unsure of texture but not smooth, long powerful hindlimbs, no tail noticed.	Seen by witness on pheasant beat. Dog would not follow animal. Increased sheep predation in area. Furball collected.
before 24 th January	Keillour, Perthshire	Four sheep attacked, large animal seen next evening.	Large dog or cat believed to be responsible.
end January	Aquhorthies, Inverrurie, Aberdeenshire	Dark, possibly dark stripes, collie-sized (10-12 kg), long tail, clearly a cat, but definitely not panther size.	Seen for few seconds by dog walker. Jumped from the brush at the top of field and cleared road in two strides. Movement quick, fluid. and silent. Cat not noticed by dogs.
January - May	Paisley, Renfrewshire	Steely blue colour, three foot long tail curled like cheetah's.	Very fast. Seen 10 - 15 times by occassions by witness
February	Pluscarden, Moray	Kellas cat	Hunting along side of field.
15 th February	A9 nr Birnam, Perthshire and Kinross	Dark, probably black, 2 feet high, standing with mouth open and teeth clearly visible, rounded head, short snout.	Seen at 4 metres in headlights by driver. Cat standing by roadside.
21 st February	Sandyford junction A77 at Ayr, South Ayrshire	Black, 2.5 feet high (approx), long body, squat type face, long tail, slightly shorter than body, back curved down.	Seen initially at 150- 200 yards by driver. Cat crossed carriageway into field.
22 nd February	Broughty Ferry, City of Dundee	Large grey cat, four feet long, "like a little panther", light grey distinctive ringed tail which was grey and white. Possible wildcat.	Facing up to domestic cat. Seen at 40 yards in garden.
23 rd February	Stewarton, East Ayrshire	Large feline, dark but not black, size of Labrador, tail over half length of body	Seen by male motorist. Turned and bounded away to left when lights came on
24 th February	Cardrona, Scottish Borders	Two white cats, first Labrador sized, pure white, long tail, head in proportion to size of body Second larger than wildcat, pure white, shorter tail than first	Seen by two witnesses at 180 yards. Cats uphill in field. Two previous sightings in December, one filmed.
25 th February	Cardrona, Scottish Borders	Second sighting of large cat seen on 24 th Second larger than wildcat, pure white, shorter tail than first	Seen by two witnesses at 100 yards. Cat uphill in field, appeared to catch rabbit and eat it.
before 5 th March	Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire	Puma-like animal, twice size of fox , sandy brown, long bushy tail tapered off at end.	Seen by male witness in a garden.
before 5 th March	Johnstone Castle, Renfrewshire	Paw prints seen in snow in garden. Presence of claw marks suggests dog rather than cat.	Sighting of puma-like animal nearby.
mid March	Birnie, s; of Elgin, Moray	"Puma", mid brown colour, labrador retriever size, facially feline, long bushy looking tail.	See by driver. Cat walked off as car approached. Previous cat sighting by this witness in 2000
16 th March	A96, Oyne fork, Aberdeenshire	Animal of some kind hit car, said to be big black cat by following driver.	Caused damage to wing of car. Incident reported to police.
23 rd March	Kingswells, City of Aberdeen	Dark tabby cat in colour with dark stripes and a long tail.	Seen by female witness.
23 rd March	Pluscarden, Moray		Large cat prints found by member of SBCT.
8 th April	Nr Collessie, Fife		Large "feline-like" tracks found. Later concluded to be tracks of a large dog.
11 th April	s. of Fogwatt, Elgin-Rothes road, Moray	"Puma" hindquarters seen with long bushy tail.	Seen by female motorist and her children. Cat disappearing into undergrowth
May	Garmouth, Moray	Large black labrador sized cat	Seen by roadside
May	Gleniffer Braes, Paisley, Renfrewshire	Bigger than fox, grey, black tail, curled up, bushy at end	Seen at 30 yards by dog walker
May	Paisley, Renfrewshire	Steely blue colour, three foot long tail curled like cheetah's.	Seen by neighbour of another witness with multiple sightings
mid May	Poulson's dam, Paisley, Renfrewshire	Feline-like animal, build of fox, grey coat, black spots, black pointy ears, black markings round eyes - possible racoon?	Seen on two occassions by dog walker
Last week in May	Forres, Moray	Dead lynx	Killed by traffic.
9 th June	Invercauld Estate, near Braemar, Aberdeenshire	Large black labrador sized animal. Length and motion not like a dog. 5 ft long, tail as long as body, squat, muscular, straight pointed ears, like a puma	Seen by two witnesses. Moving through heather. Photographed.
July	Nr Cowdenbeath, Fife	Four foot long body, very long tail, very dark brown, some black markings, unusually large head, big teeth	Killed in collision with car. Dumped in council skip and burried on landfll site. Reported two months later.
3 rd July	Johnstonebridge, Dumfries and Galloway	Size of boxer dog, light, golden, white bib, dark lines downface, stand up pointed ears, suggestion of tufts. Like lynx or bobcat.	Seen by bus passenger.
9 th July	Loans, Troon, South Ayrshire	Black feline, approx 4 feet long, long tail. "Beautiful"	Seen at 10 ft for 3 seconds by motorist and his wife when van ahead braked because of cat crossing road
around 15 th July	Farm by St Boswells, Scottish Borders	Larger than labrador, tan, ears perpendicular to head, low slung belly, long tail , cat face	Seen crossing road by man and his nephew. Second sighting two weeks later. Several previous sightings in area.
16 th July	Ardersier, Highland	Large black cat	Ran across road in front of car.
22 nd July	Loch Nell side, Kilmore, by Oban, Argyll	Definite cat shaped, little more than half height of sheep, fair coloured, tail not seen, striking ears - very pointed, large in proportion to head and furry..	Seen by female motorist (driving slowly) for 20 secs at 200 yards chasing sheep. Cat like movements and silent.
23 rd July	Ardersier, Highland	Large black creature, size of labrador	Seen by family sauntering across field. Filmed. After examining the video and conducting experiments with a model, Scottish Big Cats concluded that the animal was in fact the size of a domestic cat. Possibly a Kellas cat.
25 th July	Ardersier, Highland	Large black creature, size of labrador	Ran across road. Seen by two witnesses, including woman who videoded the cat two days previously.
25 th July	Belhelvie to Dyce road, Aberdeenshire	"Just like a little lion but jet black", big head, long curly tail	Ran out in front of car, almost hit.
26 th July	Farm by St Boswells, Scottish Borders	Larger than labrador, tan, ears perpendicular to head, low slung belly, long tail, cat face	Seen by five year old girl. Bloodhound caught scent. Possible print found. Animals disturbed, Previous sighting by relatives two weeks earlier. Several other sightings in area, poultry killed and removed and large cat-like animals heard.
26 th July	Thornhill, Dumfries & Galloway	Cat big as a Collie dog, dark grey, short tail.	Seen by a walker. Travelling streadily by river. Later seen "running faster than a greyhound".
27 th July	Waverley Castle Hotel, Melrose, Scottish Borders	Two cats. First "like a black leopard", long thick "muscular tail", back legs (higher then the body when running). Second, smaller, fawn coloured, pointed face. Both cats had tails as long as their bodies.	Seen by mother and 10 year old daughter at 20 yards in grounds of hotel. One cat bolted immediately, the second stared at witnesses before running into a field.
28 th July	Auldgirth, Dumfries & Galloway	"funny shape", cat's head, legs seemed too long for body.	Seen by by two motorists at 200 yards. Came out of woods and crossed road..
30 th July	Insch golf course, Aberdeenshire	"Puma-like", jet black, cat-like face	Seen for a minute by green keeper.
31 st July	Nr Sanquhar, Dumfries & Galloway	"Panther-like", thick black glossy coat, muscular build, at least 18 inches at shoulders	Spotted by tourist driving near gold course. Reported to police.
August	Inverurie, Aberdeenshire	Several sightings of non-native cats.	Seen by schoolgirl. Ducks also killed and cat possible suspect.
August	Skene, Aberdeenshire	Big, black, Labrador-sized	Seen by man walking two lurchers.
August	Skene, Aberdeenshire		Roars heard by family of three.
8 th August	Redmoss, Pentland Hills, by Balerno, City of Edinburgh	Black, powerful, much stockier than dog, body 3 foot long, shoulder 4 foot tall, tail not seen, head not dog-like, no snout but fairly rounded, pointed ears.	Seen by two walkers at 10 feet. Reported to SSPC and police. Police later found print, but not of cat
24 th August	River Deveron by Mountblairy, nr Banff, Aberdeenshire	Black, 6 ft long, bushy tail, height of retriever dog, cat's head, larger than normal.	Seen by two fishermen at 30 ft, crossing road. Second sighting following day
29 th August	between Garmouth & Mostodloch, Moray	"Puma" - large dark bown cat, small head in relation to body and huge, long & thick uniformed tail. Height - shoulder high on greyhound	Seen clearly by two motorists. Stood for a second before turning and leaping over fence.
30 th August	Skene, Aberdeenshire	Big, black, Labrador-sized	Seen by family of four adults at 15 yards. Moved like a cat.
31 st August	Blairdaff, nr Kemnay, Aberdeenshire	Tall slender cat, 50/60 cm in height,fairly long legs, beige with whitish markings, smallish head, large ears, tail not seen	Seen at 20 metres for 1-2 secs by female driver.
September	Crombie, Angus	Large black cat	Seen by male witness
c. 5 th September	Between Maddiston, to Polmont, Falkirk	Large black cat, 3 1/2 - 4ft body length (larger than Alsation), tall and skinny.	Seen at 10- 20 ft by driver. Walked slowly towards trees with flick of tail.
before 18 th September	near Avoch, Black Isle, Highland	Large black spotted cat, larger than an alsation,	Seen by two school girls.
Before 19 th September	near Auldearn, Highland	Very big, pitch black cat	Seen by two witnesses
20 th September	near Auchnagatt, Aberdeenshire	Alsation-sized, short, sleek, jet black hair, its tail curled like crook	Seen at 3 yards by two witnesses. Ran towards car. Cat-like movement.
1 st October	Parkhill, Aberdeenshire	Large black cat, 'bigger than a dog'	Seen at 500 yards for 4 mins by two female witnesses.
8 th October	Dyce, City of Aberdeen	Jet black, back dipped, curled tail	Seen at 15 yards by driver. Ran across road.
18 th October	Nr Carnie, Aberdeenshire		Possible prey animals found.
Before 28 th October	RAF Leuchars, Fife		Dead roe deer found in airbase with bruising to throat.
29 th October	Ardersier, Highland	Two sightings of a large black cat	Seen by two witnesses, flew out of long grass and ran off.
31 st October	Roseangle, City of Dundee	Large black animal, labrador-sized but not a labrador.	Seen by female student, headed for railway line.
3 rd November	Sweetholm, by Ladybank, Fife	Large black cat.	Seen by dog walker bounding through woods.
10 th November	Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire	A five feet long, black cat like creature	Seen by walker, running into woods
17 th November	Cardrona, Scottish Borders	Large black cat like creature.	First sighting in two days. Attention of female witness attracted by flock of scattering sheep. Cat seen sitting on a dyke and then took off.
18 th November	Cardrona, Scottish Borders	Animal seen moving outside hotel. Presumed to be same cat seen day before..	Second sighting by same witness.
24 th November	Johnstone, Renfrewshire	Jet black, animal, two feet high, four feet long	First of two sightings. Seen by school cleaner at 25 feet.
24 th November	Johnstone, Renfrewshire	'Big cat'	Second of two sightings. Seen by female walker at cycle track.
before 28 th November	Portavadie, Tighnabruaich, Argyll and Bute	Black cat, size of small labrador	Ran across road in front of council workman. Follows pattern of autumn sightings
late November/early December	Linwood, Renfrewshire	Large black cat, large white teeth	Seen at 15 feet by female dog walker.
late November/early December	Johnstone, Renfrewshire	'Leopard-like beast'	Seen crossing Johnstone -Paisley railway line.
December	St Fergus, Aberdeenshire	Pair of eyes like saucers seen. Animal too big to be dog or domestic cat	Seen by female witness in garden. Turned and in two leaps bounded out of garden and into fields.
before 11 th December	Nr Dalry, North Ayrshire	Huge black tail	Seen disappearing into hedge following sightings of large black-cat like animal
before 11 th December	Johnstone, Renfrewshire	Large black cat, pointed ears , rounded face, broad shoulders	Seen in garden at a few yards by retired couple.
before 11 th December	Johnstone, Renfrewshire	Large black cat, pointed ears , rounded face, broad shoulders	Seen in garden at a few yards by retired couple.
before 19 th December	Blairadam Forest, Kelty, Fife	Large black cat with limp. Hair found on fence.	Witnessed by couple whose hens have been killed.

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