Black Cats

Halloween is a time of ghosts, goblins and black cats. If you own a black cat, I would recommend keeping it indoors until the holiday is over. Even today, black felines have a persistantly fearsome reputation for bad luck and witchcraft, giving some disturbed individuals an excuse to harm them. Black cats were not always so maligned however.

Oagans-Bast was the sacred black cat god popular in the monotheistic religion of ancient Egypt. All cats, but especially black cats, were held sacred and kept in Egyptian homes for protection, fertility and luck. It was believed the god's spirit would enter the cat, and bless its family with prosperity. Killing any cat in ancient Egypt, even accidentally, would result in your death as well. 

This all changed during the Middle Ages. The black cat became associated with witches, and as a consequence were destroyed in hideous ways. Witches were believed to transmutate into a cat nine times during their life. In Hungry, cats in general were assumed to become witches between the ages of seven and twelve. To avoid this fate, crosses were cut into the cat's skin. The thirteenth century pope Gregory IX declared the Cathars (a heretical religious sect) bred black cats because the animals were the devil in disguise. A holy war against the Cathars was declared shortly after the Pope's announcement.  

Elizabeth the First 

At the coronation of Elizabeth the I of England in 1558, Protestants carried a cat filled wicker dummy of the pope through the streets, ultimately tossing the terrified creatures into a massive bonfire. If I were Elizabeth, I'd be worried about death looking over my shoulder too. 

The History of Four-footed Beasts and Serpents 

 Author: Edward Topsell

In the seventeenth century it was thought various bits and pieces of black cats could cure illnesses. People wishing to avoid sickness often buried the tail of a black cat under the doorstep of  their homes. English naturalist Edward Topsell proscribed blowing the ashes of a black cat's burned head into painful or blind eyes three times a day.  

There is good news though. Buddhists consider all cats lucky, including the black ones. The Buddhists say if a black cat enters your home, and you treat it nicely, good luck will come your way. Also, if a black cat should cross your path, and doesn't harm you, luck is yours.

King Charles the First

Artist: Anthony Van Dyck

Charles the I of England had a black cat he took everywhere. Believing the cat good luck, he was devastated when the cat died suddenly, and expected the worst. The very next day, Charles was arrested and ultimately beheaded.

Edgar Allan Poe

More recently, black cats have appeared in literature, including "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe. To read the story, click HERE. Other stories including black cats are "A Cat's Tail" by Mark Twain; "The Cat and the Moon" by William Butler Yeats; and "Mulliner Nights" by P.G. Wodehouse. 

Some businesses use black cats in their logos.  They include Eveready Batteries, and Ritz-Lanvin's "My Sin" perfume.

"My Sin" perfume.

I have no idea what this smells like, but the bottle is nice. Since cats are often associated with sensually, and the woman is portrayed with offspring, I'm not sure what they're trying to say. If you use "My Sin," you'll have numerous illegitimate children perhaps. 

A black cat game!

A board game by Parker Brothers called The Black Cat Fortune Telling Game was released in 1897. This looks like a more recent edition.

So I hope you and your cat, black or otherwise, celebrate this Halloween safely. Maybe a black cat will enter your home. That's good luck in Yorkshire, England you know.

Legends of the Siamese Cat

Black Manx and Royal Siamese

Artist: W. Luker Jr.

I have a Siamese cat who thinks the universe revolves around him. His persnickety and superior attitude must be fed by an inherent cat knowledge about the history and legends of his ancestors.

The Cat Back

Artist: Hu Chan

Many years ago in Siam (Thailand), the Siamese cat was a very exclusive feline. Being reserved for the king and royal family, no common sorts such as ourselves could own one. When a royal died, a household Siamese was selected to capture and contain the dearly departed's soul. Don't think anything bad happened to the cat. It wasn't sacrificed, or buried with the dead, but instead lived a life of luxury with the monks and priests of the local temple. There, the lucky Siamese ate all the best food from gold plates, and slept on the softest of silk cushions. These luxuries were provided by relatives of the deceased in a desperate bid for good fortune and special blessings. The selected cat was believed to possess rare powers of intercession for the soul of the departed. When the king himself died, his Siamese representative attended the new king's coronation, so the former king could be present at the royal event and festivities. 

 

In Thailand, Siamese cats are called "Wichien-maat," a name that means Moon Diamond.

Some Siamese have crossed eyes and kinks in their tail. I once had a Siamese with crossed eyes. Though her peculiarity didn't bother HER, I could never tell which direction she was looking. When I thought she was aiming for my lap, she was aiming for the curtains instead. Here is a legend that explains why Siamese cats have crossed eyes and kinked tails. 

Buddha

A long time ago, a terrible war was fought by Siam to defend its kingdom. Since all Siam's men were sent to battle, Buddha's golden goblet was left unprotected. Two Siamese were chosen to preserve the goblet in the sacred temple. The male cat was named Tein, and the female Chula. All went well until Tein became uneasy and left (after mating with Chula) to find a new priest capable of caring for the goblet. Poor Chula, now expecting kittens, never took her eyes off the sacred goblet. As a safeguard against sleep, Chula nervously wrapped her long tail around the goblet's stem to foil thieves. When the kittens were born, they amazingly received Chula's physical quirks she developed as a watchcat. They had crossed eyes and tail kinks. So if you possess a Siamese with crossed eyes, or a kinked tail, remember Chula and her brave protection of Buddha's sacred goblet.

Asian Silver Jade Ring

Here's a second story about the Siamese and its kinked tail. Once, a princess of the Royal House of Siam used her cat's tail as a ring stand when taking a bath. The cat, not wishing to loose the ring, obligingly developed a kinked tail to safeguard the special object for "his" princess.

Cat Eye

Photographer: Justin Scarpetti

Whether or not your Siamese has crossed eyes, or a kinked tail, treat him well, they're very interesting cats with a long and royal history. No wonder they're persnickety and superior! They're also very sweet.

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Since finishing this post yesterday, I realized I left a very entertaining legend out. It's the legend of the first Siamese.  

Noah's Ark

Artist: Mary Singleton

The story of Noah is known far and wide. After Noah built his ark, he filled it with animals two by two. It began to rain. It rained and rained and rained with no end in sight. The animals in the ark became very bored and searched for something to do. The monkey, spotting the pretty lioness, immediately fell in love. Wooing occurred and soon, tiny Siamese kittens were born. They had the cleverness and agility of the monkey, and the courage of the lioness. Come to think of it, my Siamese is a bit like a monkey himself! 

Splinter Cat

One legendary beastie found over much of North America is the Splinter Cat. This terrifying kitty is about as large as a Bobcat with a strong muscular neck, a broad head containing nothing of any consequence, and a bony skull plate that's harder than a Ram's horn. It also has an unfortunate propensity towards nasty headaches. The headaches are caused by its method of hunting tasty chipmunks, squirrels and opossums in the thick mountain forests it calls home. Since the little dinner morsels tend to hide in tree hollows, the Splinter Cat climbs a neighboring tree, and hurls itself head-first into the marked tree's trunk. It will hurl itself over and over until the poor tree is nothing but a mass of splinters, and the meal is captured and consumed. After eating, the strange kitty takes a nap, partly because it's full, and partly to sleep off its splitting headache. As Splinter Cats are nocturnal, you probably won't see one during daytime forest walks. But if you do, remember its terrible headaches cause a perpetual foul mood, and may require your hasty retreat from the area. This is especially true during mating season, when the males show off by destroying as many trees as possible in a frenzied display of strength. In a note of caution, if you should meet a Splinter Cat, DO NOT hold still, but jump around shouting while spinning your arms like a windmill. This is so the Splinter Cat won't confuse you with a squirrel containing tree, and try to split you open. 

  

The obvious result of a Splinter Cat attack.