Hoax or bizarre behaviour?: Mysterious black cat blamed for traffic chaos and ‘multiple crashes’

A ‘sassy’ black cat has been causing traffic chaos and ‘multiple accidents’ on Tasmanian streets, with a veterinary behaviourist now weighing in on the mystery. SEE THE PHOTOS >>

A BLACK cat has been accused of causing traffic chaos including “multiple accidents” in Launceston with a veterinary behaviourist unable to explain its bizarre behaviour.

Two pictures of the “sassy” feline sitting on the road staring down drivers in stopped cars were posted to popular community Facebook page Chit Chat – Launceston Tasmania last week.

The first photo was posted with the caption: “(Warning) There’s a black cat on the corner of Arthur, Welman and Elizabeth Street that is stopping traffic and has caused multiple accidents including the one yesterday! Please be careful at this intersection!”.

A posted the following day said: “Is this the same cat from yesterday? He’s on Wellington and Elizabeth now”.

The images attracted more than 800 comments from locals with varying opinions on the curious case of the traffic stopping cat – many even claiming it was a hoax. 

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Posted by Launceston Memes on Friday, 19 June 2020

“Someone is good at photoshopping and sucking people in!” one commenter wrote.

“Yep there is a black cat that lives there. But it doesn’t sit in front of cars stopping traffic.

My son is a cinema photographer and has shown me how this was done,” said another.

A digital forensic expert told the Mercury that if the cat was digitally inserted into the photos “it’s done well enough not to be able to tell” as the grain and sharpness matched.

However, a Tasmania Police spokesperson said no reported car crashes in the area of the Elizabeth and Welman St junction around the date of the posts involved a cat.

Veterinary behaviourist Dr Katrina Ward said why a cat would sit on a busy road was a mystery and suggested it might be a “reincarnated traffic controller”.

“Most cats would be scared of heavy traffic,” she said.

“They will dart across roads, but to sit in the middle of one … unless it’s trying to seek warmth.”

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Dr Ward said the cat could have sensory decline, but even if it was deaf and blind, it would be able to feel the vibrations of the road.

She also suggested an age-related degenerative brain disease, which would normally manifest as confusion.

“Maybe he’s catching wildlife or seeking warmth or he’s being bizarrely territorial, but it doesn’t make much sense that he would be territorial of a busy road.”

Dr Ward said no explanation for the behaviour made complete sense.

The original posters assured commenters the photo was real and they regularly see the cat sitting on the road.

Many confirmed they had seen the cat at the junction and many more questioned where the owner was.

Local meme page Launceston Memes had its say, sharing the images of the cat with the caption; “Riots and pandemic around the globe. But in Launceston, our biggest concern is a cat that blocks traffic”.

The Mercury has tried to make contact with the Facebook users behind the original posts.