I don't really want to go through nearly 30 pages to see if anyone else has brought it up, but has anyone ever heard of a Maine Coon? The largest breed of domestic cat in the world. Sorry if it's been brought up earlier but-
They're freaking huge. Another domestic breed that grows to a similar size (though a few kilos smaller) is the Norwegian forest cat. If a domesticated cat can grow to that size, then a feral cat with an unlimited rage of food and habitat and minimal predators could too. I personally don't believe in wild 'panthers' and the like being in Australia, I believe they are just huge ferals.
Coming across something like that unexpectedly would scare the crap out of a lot of people, and being used to the normal 3-4 kg cat, it would be enough to provoke thoughts of a large wild cat.
They're freaking huge. Another domestic breed that grows to a similar size (though a few kilos smaller) is the Norwegian forest cat. If a domesticated cat can grow to that size, then a feral cat with an unlimited rage of food and habitat and minimal predators could too. I personally don't believe in wild 'panthers' and the like being in Australia, I believe they are just huge ferals.
Coming across something like that unexpectedly would scare the crap out of a lot of people, and being used to the normal 3-4 kg cat, it would be enough to provoke thoughts of a large wild cat.