Scottish Highland Cat
Felis silvestris silvestris
Status: critically Endangered in UK because of hybridization with household domestic cats.
Ancient celtic mythology:
Stalking through the thistles and heather of the Scottish Highlands, a lone traveler might glimpse a dark silhouette with a blaze of white fur upon the chest lurking at the edges of firelight. A sinuous tail weaving in the shadows would announce the presence of cait Sidhe, a fairy feline.
cait Sidhe is thought to be inspired by sightings of hybrid descendants of Scottish Wildcats. It was believed that if a body was left unattended during a wake, cait Sidhe might steal the soul of the deceased. To prevent this from occurring, those at the wake would offer entertainment to distract the playful feline, play music for it to dance, and pose riddles (because no fairy can resist such games).
References:
Matthews, John; caitlín Matthews (2005). The Element Encyclopedia of Magical creatures. HarperElement.
Grimassi, Raven (2000). Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft. St. Paul: Llewellyn.
Bruford, A. (1966). Gaelic Folk-Tales and Mediæval Romances: A Study of the Early Modern Irish "Romantic Tales" and Their Oral Derivatives. Béaloideas, 34, i-285. https://doi.org/10.2307/20521320