S4.E5: The Christmas Cat of Keels
Season 4, Episode 5
Title: The Christmas Cat of Keels
Time: 10:00
Locations: Keels, King’s Cove
Stories: Paddy Kelly and the Christmas Cat
Listen:
About The Episode:
Newfoundland has its share of strange Christmas stories — but not too many involve hand-to-hand combat with a supernatural house cat.
There’s only one I can think of, and it comes from the shores of Bonavista Bay. In this tale one unlucky soul finds out that not every creature stirring on Christmas Eve comes bearing gifts; some come looking for a fight.
Listening Options
You can listen to the episode here or on your favourite platform.
Sources & Further Reading
Paddy Kelly and the Christmas Cat, Product of Newfoundland
Bonavista South, The Trinitarian, December 21, 1926
The Devine Brothers of King’s Cove, J.W. McGrath
The Tangled Lore of Dogberries, Product of Newfoundland
A young schoolteacher’s 1876 Christmas journey from St. John’s to Fogo reveals mummering, bonfires, and outport hospitality — a timeless Newfoundland Christmas story about belonging, tradition, and finding home in unexpected places.
They were supposed to leave before winter. When they didn’t, the Christmas whales of Springdale turned a frozen bay into a story no one would forget.
A starving horse. A loyal Newfoundland dog. And a tragedy so unsettling it sparked outrage in 1882.
During WWI, a Newfoundland dog named Sable Chief marched with The Royal Newfoundland Regiment, lifted spirits, and broke hearts when he died. This is the story of their beloved mascot.
In the early 20th century a mysterious light glowed Trinity Bay and it got people talking. Was it sabotage?
After a deadly collision in 1869, the Charles Haskell became the most feared schooner in North Atlantic history when her crew claimed be haunted by ghostly fishermen.