The “Demon Cat” apparition is one of the best-known ghost stories in Washington, D.C. It refers to an oversized, menacing cat that appears sporadically in prominent federal government buildings. According to the legend, the Demon Cat conspires to frighten unsuspecting people. Other times, the Demon Cat’s appearance has been considered a prophecy of impending disaster or tragedy. The Demon Cat is also sometimes known as simply “D.C.”

According to an 1898 article in the Washington Post, the Demon Cat appears as a regular-sized housecat initially but then quickly expands to the “size of an elephant before the eyes of a terrified observer.” The first recorded appearance of the Demon Cat was in the United States Capitol in 1862. During the Civil War, the U.S. Capitol’s basement was used as a bakery to feed soldiers, and the Demon Cat appeared there several times. A guard reportedly fired a gun at the cat, and it disappeared. Since its initial manifestation, the Demon Cat most frequently shows up in the basement of the Capitol Building.1 The cat is sometimes described as a tabby, although others who have claimed to have seen it believe it is black.