Black Cat Superstitions and More!

Today is the last day to help me raise $1K for Black Cat Rescue! All you have to do is follow @petsaddlife on Twitter!

If we can get them to 6,000 followers by Midnight tonight, they’ll make that desperately needed donation. Please help!

Speaking of black cats…..earlier this month, we celebrated our annual GLOBAL BLACK CAT WEEK! Did you catch all those beautiful blackity blacks?

We love black cats in our household. As you know, Mr. Pugsley is a beautiful black boy! I’ve also noticed that people who have black cats in their homes absolutely LOVE their black cats.

It’s hard to imagine that shelters find black cats typically harder to adopt. The same goes for black dogs, by the way. I find this so odd but perhaps it has to do with so many myths and superstitions surrounding black cats. Here are some of them:

In many societies people believed that if a black cat crossed your path you were in big trouble and bad luck would befall you. Black cats were said to be witches’ sidekicks so they were associated with both the devil and sorcery.

Also, some believed that witches would turn themselves into black cats to avoid being jailed, or worse. And, so, in some villages anyone even owning a black cat would be punished or even put to death. Geesh.

But, in my research I found that there are lots more incidences of black cats being good luck! Let’s talk about those!

Contrary to the popular myth above, there are many who believe a black cat crossing your path is good luck. (My staff and I believe this one, wholeheartedly!) And, others take it even further by believing that if you talk to the black cat who crosses your path and stroke him three times, you will be even luckier! And, Pugsley says if a black persian cat crosses your path and you feed him delicious nom nom’s, your luck will improve even more! Sounds good to moi!

In old fishing villages, supposedly many women kept black cats to bring them luck when their husbands went out to sea. Along the sea-related lore, many sailors believed that if a black cat came up to them on the deck of their ship, they would have good luck. But, if that cat started to approach them but then turned away, they would have bad luck! And, if a cat were thrown ever thrown overboard….look out! A bad storm would be on the way. That’s a good one because, OMG! No one should throw a cat overboard!

In the UK lots of good myths abound. The brits believed that a young woman who had a black cat living in her home would have lots of husband prospects.

And, of course, the Egyptians have always been spot on in the way they treat cats. In ancient Egypt, cats and especially black cats were treated like kings, and harming a black cat was considered a big huge no, no.

What myths have I missed here?

Hope you all have a wonderful Halloweenie!