How did black cats get a bad rap?
Halloween conjures up all kinds of scary images. From goblins, ghouls, witches, to ghosts, mummies and black cats? Black Cats! How did our beautiful and sleek feline friends ever end up being listed amongst the scariest and evilest of creatures? Though there are many theories, the most prevalent one suggests that black cats first became associated with evil and dark forces sometime in the seventeenth century. As Christianity rose in popularity, the Church denounced other religions. One such religion, witchcraft was forbidden by the Christian Church and deemed evil. During the Salem, Massachusets witch trials, witches were not the only ones persecuted. Many people believed that the witches’ feline companions were also evil. Some even believed that witches could actually take the form of a cat. Of course the cat’s ability to see and hunt well in the dark, didn’t help them shake their dark reputation. And so it is theorized that black cats, association with witchcraft and evil, coupled with a few of their natural abilities, led them to become a permanent part of our Halloween traditions.
The fact is black cats are not evil or a sign of bad luck but sadly this old reputation makes them the hardest cats to adopt out of shelters every year. Many people still think black cats are unlucky and look the other way. Help me break this silly reputation and spread the word that black cats are amazing!
