Notes:
The Cat-Sith, pronounced Cat-Shee and literally meaning "Fairy Cat", was a member of Fae Folk who had the ability to transform from a dog-sized cat with a white spot on it's chest into a witch.
Witches could also do this, but only eight times. On their ninth transformation into a cat, they would remain a cat permanently; which is where we get the saying "A cat has nine lives".
Now cats are d----, Faeries are d----, so a Faery Cat is also, surprisingly, a d---.
When a person dies, family members and friends have to keep watch of the corpse, a tradition known as a Wake (Known as Feille Fadalach in Gaelic), to make sure the Cat-Sith cannot steal the deceased's soul before the gods could rightfully claim it upon proper burial of the body.
Due to being a cat, the methods used for distracting a cat also work on a Cat-Sith. These include such things as Catnip, roaring fires to sleep by, playing games with it, asking it riddles and playing music to make it dance.
Their dickishness was not only targeted at humans however.
If a person completed the Taghaim, a ritual based around burning cats for four days and nights, a Cat-Sith called Big Ears would appear and grant you a single wish.
During Samhain, better known as Halloween, families would leave out milk in a saucer for the Cat-Sith. Those who did would be left alone, or even blessed with good fortune on occasion, whilst those who did not would have a minor curse, or trick, placed upon their cattle and other livestock.
This is one of the origins of the "Trick or Treat" tradition that is now associated with the modern Halloween.
