ok what you are describing doesn't sound like a cat o' nine tails...
cats have..well..9 tails! LOL (an example is the first pic below) there are different kinds of cats, but the traditional style is the single tails with either knots in them or braids.
the second image is of a horse hair flogger..
it definitely SOUNDS like a horse hair flogger...whether it's synthetic hair or not...i dunno...lol