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Last night around 11:30 I was walking my dog through a very wooded neighborhood (suburban central NC). Then I heard a noise back by the house I had just walked past. It sounded sort of like the bark of one of those little lap dogs with the smashed in snouts, except a lot raspier, and a whole lot louder, and longer. I couldn't see anything, so the dog and I kept walking. A minute or so later we heard that same sound, again behind us, but not back at the house where we first heard it. So, it, whatever it was, was following us. A moment later we got close to a street light and my dog figured out where this thing was, and went after it - not agressively or quickly or anything, she was just curious and probably a bit weary. So then we could see this thing. It was definitely cat-like, except its ears were bigger and also much rounder than domestic cat ears. I would say it was roughly the size of a domestic cat, except its legs were longer and overall it was lankier. When the dog was following it, it moved away, but not like it was scared or anything. It definitely saw me too, and it certainly didn't run off in fear. I followed it down a side street and it walked away from me, but it didn't run for the woods, it just kept walking down the road, so I wouldn't call this thing shy. We continued on our way and a minute or so later we could hear that growl or whatever nearby once again. After that we got to a busier road and then no more encounters.
I poked around a bit online. Apparently sand cats have a similar growl, but they are too small to be what I saw, and also their ears, while bigger than domestic cats, are too pointy. Since lynx also have pointy ears, it can't be one of them. They are too brawny anyway. What I saw was much lankier than a lynx. So does anybody know what this thing is?
_________________ This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it. --Emerson
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