A Black Cat’s Worst Nightmare: Halloween
The black cat is a new addition to this tradition. Cats have nocturnal habits and prefer to prowl at night, slipping in and out of the shadows and blending into the shadows. Sometimes the only indication of a cat’s presence is a pair of glowing eyes in the dark. The color black is associated with funerals and death and also represents a black mark on one’s reputation. Halloween can be a black cat’s worst nightmare.
Cat Popularity-A Black Cat’s
Cats have always enjoyed popularity with humans as have dogs. Man’s best friend, the dog, enjoys love and petting which he earns by herding livestock, guarding the home, and assisting his master in any way possible. Almost every one enjoys dogs.
But it is another matter with cats. People, as individuals either love or hate cats. They may refer to themselves as cat-people or dog-people. Folks who dislike cats point to their sneaking around and silent stalking behavior. Others who love cats point out their independent nature, their cuddliness, and cleanliness.
Black Cat Superstition
The prejudice against black cats began in the West with Charles I and his pet black cat. The king loved his pet. Unfortunately it got sick and died, and the king’s fortunes seemed to have died with his cat. Bad luck piled up in Charles life. The King made fatal political blunders and accrued many enemies. Eventually his unpopularity grew to the point where the crowds had him beheaded. This is the ultimate bad luck and on looking back, the timing of the black cat’s death, the king’s arrest and his execution influenced many to believe that somehow the little kitty brought it all about.
The Christian-Church-A Black Cat’s
The Church is responsible for a good deal of black cat superstition. Black arts represent the skill of the sorcerer or witch, and witches preferred black cats as familiars. Anti-pagan heresies drove the Church to associate the black cat with Celtic pagan religious practices such as devil worship and witchcraft.
Samhain-A Black Cat’s
The Celtic fall festival, Halloween, or Samhain, as it is sometimes called, is also known for fantastic rituals and ritual killings of black or solid white cats. Halloween occurred during the magical time of transition between summer and fall. At Samhain, the veil to the spirit world lifted for a few hours in the evening, allowing the spirits of the dead to return and visit the living. Some stories proclaimed that the dead spirits might not want to go back to the underworld. The spirits might enter a black cat’s body and possess it until the veil had fallen once again.
Puritans-A Black Cat’s
In Europe, Halloween was hardly recognized, but the Puritans in the New World made the connections between witches and cats. They saw evil everywhere. Here they were in a New World with a tremendous amount of work to be done, in order to survive. They had no friends and the world was terrifying. Survival was a day to day struggle. This rough, ungodly country was overwhelming. The witchcraft trials burned like wildfire through the colonies and religion became their only source of strength.
Protecting Your Cat and Dog
Most animal shelters refuse to allow the adoption of black cats in the weeks before Halloween, for fear that some groups may want the cats for sacrificial reasons. Pet owners should keep all their pets, both cats and dogs, indoors and safe from the witches, ghosts, zombies and werewolves on Trick or Treat night.
With the doorbell constantly sounding off, shrieking ghouls, squealing spooks, firecrackers, whistling and horn blowing ruckus in many neighborhoods, naturally all the furballs are skittish. And that’s before they even see the parade of monsters at the front door.
There are several ways to protect your pets. Don’t let the furry guys get into the candy treats. Some contain xylitol which is poisonous to many pets. Be careful that they don’t bolt out the front door in a panic and get lost or hit by a car full of screaming spooks.
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