On Black Cats

Black cats, like witches, got a bad rap.  Just as paganism was once the premier religion that everybody practiced and devolved into secret meetings and hidden agendas so too did black cats once start out being praised and ended up fearing for their lives.

Back in Egyptian times, cats were so highly valued for their vermin killing abilities that the Pharaoh declared them all demi-gods.  It was a capital offense to kill a cat.  And when they died they were given just as grand of funeral rites as the high-up humans.

Like paganism, cats spread all over and in their transition from Egypt the all black variation was bred.  They were out and about as pets, vermin-control devices, household staples.  Until some asshole decided to call that little old lady with all the pet cats a witch.  Pretty soon everybody with a cat was a witch.  And since that which was evil, that cat must be their demon companion (familiars, they called them).  So, just as they tried to rid the world of witches, so they tried to rid the world of cats.  And black cats were considered the worst.  The cat hunt was so bad that by 1400 cats were on the brink of extinction in Europe.

Thankfully, much like with the whole Witch history, people became less superstitious and more educated and stop killing cats.  And now You Tube viewers all over the world rejoice at their cuteness.  But you know how it is, there’s always some random asshole that won’t give up the ghost and every year some jerk gets his hands on a black cat and does something horrible.  Thankfully we have the ASPCA now and they don’t take too kindly to that.