So, today I was in the US Capitol, saw the cat paw prints in the concrete floor of The Crypt

[Stinky The Clown]

Does anyone know the story of the cat paw prints in the floor of The Crypt? I've heard only legends and tall tales. The fact is, back when the floor of this area of the Capitol (directly under the rotunda) was having its floor poured from concrete, the Capitol kept many cats there to keep the mice and rats in check. Logic says it was simply a cat who strayed onto the wet concrete and left his mark for posterity.

The problem with that is there are only a few prints, and they are *only* at the base of one of the 40 columns in the space .... and the prints show the cat facing the column, not running away from it. No way a cat can climb a stone column.

Anyway, there they are. About 8 or 10 little kitty paw prints in 200 year old concrete. In the crypt of the US Capitol.

[rzemanfl]

1. Might there have been scaffolding in place during construction

the cat climbed on to?

[Stinky The Clown]

2. I have no idea ...... and neither does anyone else

Its all speculation. But its pretty damned cool. They're clearly house cat paw prints.

There are some people who claim there is a Demon Cat of Capitol Hill. But that tale is mostly not connected to these prints.

[madeline_con]

3. Maybe the cat was backing up.

;)

[anonymous171]

4. Demon Cat

http://godc.about.com/od/pictures/ig/Gallery-of-Ghost-Stories/Capitol-Ghosts-and-Demon-Cat-.htm

[Stinky The Clown]

7. That's the only time I've seen the DC associated with the crypt.

That said, I've also never made a study of this. :)

[BeHereNow]

5. Cheney was there with Kissinger- the two of them grabbed the cat and...

Stuck it in a wallspace they covered with mortar.
Apparently the cat had threatened to leak the
information that the two men were, in reality, vampires.

EA Poe later wrote a version of the story.

BHN

[Olney Blue]

6. It was a Democat, I hope!