The Winged Cat

I was intrigued by the reference in Walden to the "winged cat".

I have always had cats, and been interested in watching birds as well. Combining the two in one creature seems fabulous, in the literal sense.

The cat Thoreau wrote about probably spent most of its time outdoors, and was not regularly groomed. Long-haired cats, if not brushed out regularly, can get large mats in their fur. My reading was that the winged cat was probably just a long-haired cat with matted fur in a fanciful shape. I had a Maine Coon cat who hated to be brushed, and he developed these "wings" by the end of almost every winter. Sometimes they would just fall off as the hair that held them in place grew out, and sometimes they would need to be cut off.

I would be curious to hear anyone else's theories or experience regarding the winged cat.

Here are a couple of stock photos. You can easily find more online.