Early settlers in America, fresh from Europe, were a superstitious lot. They distrusted cats. Cats were considered a necessary evil because they controlled mice and rats. However they were also believed to be in league with the devil and, on occasion, to cavort with witches. Cats were sometimes called witch's "familiars".
But in ancient Egypt, where they were first domesticated about 3,000 years ago, cats were considered sacred. One Egyptian god in particular, Pasht, was not only cat-headed but was attended by cats. Some believed that the life-giving rays of the sun were kept in a cat's eyes at night for safekeeping. To kill a cat in Egypt could mean death to the offender. And, in the land of the Pharaohs, a black cat crossing one's path was considered good luck!
Ancient Hebrew folklore tells of an incident in the Ark that resulted in the creation of the first cats. Apparently, before the flood there were no cats. But there was a pair of lions and there was fear that the shaggy beasts would attack the other animals. So Noah prayed to God for a solution. God answered by putting the lions into a deep sleep. When one problem was solved, another arose. Suddenly the Ark was overrun with mice. Noah got down on his knees again and prayed for a solution. God suggested that Noah whack the sleeping male lion on the nose. He did, the lion sneezed, and out of his nostrils came the first pair of cats. The rodent problem was solved.
Another version of the creation of cats comes from the Christian tradition. Apparently the devil, in one of his periodic attempts at creation, was trying to make a man. As usual he failed miserably and, through his bungling, ended up creating the first cat. (Unfortunately, the poor creature was hairless. One cold day St. Peter happened upon the unfortunate animal shivering in a doorway. He had pity on it and gave it a fur coat.)
Life was no picnic for cats in the Middle Ages. In the religious fervor of the time, cats -- especially black cats -- were considered mystical spirits of evil. Witches were said to be aided by cats in their mischief-making. Sometimes a witch took on the shape of a cat to slink around unnoticed. Witch's cats were also said to have the power of speech and were able predict the future.
Norse mythology tells of the witch Freya who had a chariot pulled by black cats, who often transformed themselves into black horses. These changelings were very fast and said to be possessed of the devil.
In the Middle Ages, anti-feline hysteria reached a fever pitch and cats were deliberately hunted down and killed. Sometimes cats were formally executed for simply being a cat. The cat was blamed for a multitude of sins, including the encouragement of humans to do wrong. And if the cat's owner was convicted of witchcraft and condemned to die, there was a good chance that he/she would be accompanied to the gallows by the cat.
Cats have an almost supernatural mystique. Perhaps it is their independent nature that prompts the belief that cats have special powers, or maybe it's their intense, unblinking stare that sometimes spooks people. Who knows? At any rate, cats are the subject of many superstitions that have grown up over the years. Here are a few notable examples:
-- If a black cat crosses your path, evil will soon befall you. (In England, however, the evil can be canceled if you spit right away.)
-- If a cat leaves home while a person is sick and cannot be coaxed back, the person will die.
-- If a cat puts its paw behind its ear when it scratches (which it almost always does), rain is on the way.
-- Kittens born in the month of May will bring snakes into the house.
-- If you wake up in the morning and see cats playing, the rest of the day will be wasted.
-- In the days of the great sailing ships, sailors always took a cat on board the boat. On very calm days when no wind filled the sails, they would lock the cat in a cupboard. This would bring a breeze.
-- To meet a cat at midnight is to meet Satan, himself.
-- Never leave a cat alone with an infant. The cat will suck the breath right out of the child.
-- Tortoiseshell cats are considered lucky in Great Britain.
-- If cats run around wildly, then expect a wind to blow up.
-- If a cat sneezes near the bride-to-be on the morning of the wedding, she will have a happy life.
-- Stroking the tail of a black cat will cure a sty in the eye.
-- Cats found lurking in coal mines are considered to be bad luck.
We've certainly come a long way since the days when cats were executed as handmaidens of the devil. But there is still a general feeling that cats are much different than other animals -- that there is a special intelligence behind those unblinking eyes. Perhaps it is this mystery that makes some of us uncomfortable around cats. We like to be in control and a cat will seldom be controlled.
Perhaps it's also that same "mystery" that makes the cat so appealing. Some people are highly complimented when a cat returns affection while being stroked. In fact, it has been scientifically proven that stroking a cat is actually beneficial to humans -- it lowers blood pressure and eases stress. But there is always the shadow of doubt as to who really has the upper hand -- man or cat. As Michel de Montaigne so aptly put it, "When I play with my cat, who knows whether she isn't amusing herself with me more than I am with her?"
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