Ellana DeVies
Ever wonder why black cats have such a stigma around them? How did those fuzzy fur balls even become Halloween icons?
It began when the Ancient Egyptians revered black cats as sacred animals and worshipped them for the good luck they brought. This belief was vanquished in 1233 when Pope Gregory IX issued a papal bull (a formal decree from a pope) called “Vox in Rama”, which stated that the devil was portrayed as half cat, half man.
Due to this statement, a violent persecution of all cats began in the 1300s, bringing about a decline in their numbers in Europe.
Since mice and rats were the feline’s prey, the rodents’ numbers increased without their predators. The increase in rodents caused a rapid spread of the bubonic plague, but a common belief was that cats were the carriers. This misconception caused even more hatred towards cats.
But today it’s only black cats that get the bad rap. Black cats gained their distinct reputation from their association with witches..
Witches were once tolerated by the Christian Church, but as the church gained power, they wanted more control and started believing that witches were evil. This led to the killing of witches.
Black cats became witches’ sidekicks because the furry friends could not be seen at night, and that was considered more practical for sneaky witches. People who owned cats were accused of witchcraft due to the link.
With black cats being connected to witchcraft, the Puritan Pilgrims distrusted them, thought they were cursed, and thought they brought bad luck to people who crossed their paths.
The belief that black cats were cursed spread to many parts of the world, but eventually it evolved into more of a myth.
Today, the image of black cats is often used in Halloween decorations, but animal shelters are hesitant to allow black cats to be adopted around Halloween, fearing that they would only be used as living decorations, later being abandoned, tortured or killed after Halloween.
Yes, you heard that right, cats are STILL being killed to this day.
If you have ever passed an unfriendly black cat, remember that there are many things that determine personality and this stems mostly from how they are raised, not the color of their fur.