Teakettler: Fearsome Critter

Another fearsome critter, the teakettler is an American folkloric creature, said to resemble both a cat and a dog. The teakettler myth was popularized by lumberjacks in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, who said the creature had the ears of a cat on the body of a short, stubby dog.

The name “teakettler” was given to the critter, as legend would have it that it whistles like a tea kettle. On top of making the distinct tea kettle noise, it also issues steam from its mouth. The steam and whistling noise were said to have sprouted from the temper of the teakettler, although no stories of its aggression existed.

Teakettlers were said to be difficult to track, as they walked backwards, resulting in reversed footprints. This, as well as their extremely shy nature, is how narrators of these tall tales explained that there were not many sightings of this mythological creature.