THE BLACK CAT: GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION

Black cats didn’t always bear the burden of superstition; they were once a symbol of grace and poise.

In ancient Egypt all cats were considered sacred, and killing one was even a capital crime.

A mass hysteria of witches and the practice of witchcraft hit Europe during the middle ages.

The irrational association of black cats and witches began around this time. Some of the women who were known for feeding and caring for stray alley cats were suspected of being witches.

A folktale exists that is believed to be the reason why black cats crossing ones path is bad luck.

A father and son were walking through an alley and a black cat crossed their path and dove into a crawl space. The pair threw rocks and injured the cat who then retreated into a woman’s home who was suspected of being a witch.

The woman was seen in town limping the next day.

It was then believed that witches could turn into black cats at night in order to prowl the streets unnoticed.

The idea that black cats can turn into witches crossed the Atlantic with European settlers. During the Salem witch hunt, being seen near a black cat was enough suspicion to put an accused witch on trial.

To this day black cats are still a symbol of sabotage, bad luck, and anarchy.

Many black cats have been featured in American comedy, drama, and horror films and television.

Black cats have been mistreated, blamed, and associated with evil for centuries. Their unfair stigma should not be associated with horror fans.

In fact, most fans of horror are animal lovers and have cats themselves. One of the biggest donations given to the Los Angeles Animal Shelter last year came from those who run a haunted house in Santa Monica.

These wonderful creatures reciprocate the same love you give to them, and should be a positive symbol not a negative one.

   (Josh Millican fellow writer at Theblood-shed.com and his cat Posie)