I’m sure you have all heard of the Appalachian Rules:
If you see something, no you didn’t.
If you hear something, no you didn’t.
If something whistles at you, you don’t whistle back.

But what happens if you ignore the rules? What will happen if you whistle back or interact with the so-called “wildlife” in the Appalachian Mountains? This is the legend of the Wampus Cat, located in the Appalachian Mountains. 

The legend of the Wampus Cat began as a Native Cherokee tale, passed down from generation to generation. The Wampus Cat is said to stalk the trails of the Appalachian Mountains, haunting the trees, ensuring the forest will remain its own. 

The Wampus Cat is described as a large, dark colored cat, with glowing eyes and razor-sharp claws. Some netizens report the Wampus Cat has six legs and is over twenty feet long, but it is difficult to decide if that is the case, or if the victims that managed to escape the wrath of the Cat were delirious. 

Either way, the Wampus Cat has made its impact on Appalachian culture. The Wampus Cat is rumored to produce wails and screams that pierce even the deepest valleys of the mountains, and the mutilated animals that lie around its territory may not be from a bear or coyote, considering they’re the ones lying gutted in the tree lines. 

The Wampus Cat can also shapeshift. As you walk down the trails, bird watching or stargazing, you hear the scream of the Cat behind you. It sounds far away, so you think you’re safe to turn back and get the hell out of dodge. Until you hear the soft growls and excited yips of the cat closing in. It smelled you from miles away and is now determined to catch you and make you its next meal. 

As you’re face to face with the glowing eyes and the dripping teeth, you think of jumping into the lake on your left; cats can’t swim, right? Wrong. The Wampus Cat will jump right in after you, excited that you think you can escape; fear being its favorite flavor. The Cat will catch you, sink its claws into your skin, its own victorious cry covering your helpless screams. It will drag you up, and out of the lake and take what it wants, and sling you up in a tree for leftovers. Just like that, you’re gone and so is the Wampus Cat, your death being framed as a mysterious attack. 

Parents often spread the legend of the Wampus Cat to their children in order to instill obedience in them. “ The Wampus Cat comes out at dark, you better be home before the street light is on.”, “ Stop hitting your sister before I turn you loose to the CattyWampus.’’ Mothers would say, using good ‘ole fear as education, just like the Wampus Cat. 

So, you have been warned, my dear readers: stay alert when you’re hiking the Appalachian trails, get home before dark, and don’t think you are safe just because you can swim. The Wampus Cat will do whatever it needs to in order to capture one more victim, one more soul to take, and one more reason to keep its legend alive.

Edited and Reviewed by Hailey Hutchison