Monday, October 11, 2010

Black Cats


During the month of October, I like to do Halloween-related crafts with the boys. This week we're doing Black Cat Week and I have 5 different projects lined up. One is a black cat made from black beans, so that should be interesting. On the subject of black cats, however, did you know ...

Black cats are considered good luck in England. In Scotland, a black cat coming back home is a sign of prosperity. Also, a woman who owns a black cat might have many suitors.

In Western culture, black cats are considered an evil omen, often being associated with witches. Gamblers were afraid of black cats. If a black cat crossed their path, they thought it was best to avoid the casino.

Black cats have a lower chance of being adopted. Some shelters won't adopt black cats out around Halloween in fear they might be abused.

Pirates used black cats to determine a person's luck. If a black cat walked towards a person, that person would have bad luck. If the cat walks away from them, they will have good luck. If a black cat walks aboard a ship and then walks back off, the ship is doomed to sink.

If you want to read some really cool things about cats, check out Desmond Morris' books Catwatching and Catlore. I'm not sure if they're still in print, but you might be able to find them at your local library or online. Very interesting reading, especially the parts about black cats and their history.

Question -- have you ever owned a black cat? If so, was it 100% black, or did it have a tuft of white under it's chin or maybe white hairs mixed in with the black? There's a story behind that, too!

7 comments:

  1. Funny... My sister was born on Oct. 31. She has a black cat named Demon!

    She teaches Preschool and loves picture books. I always by her a Halloween book with a black cat somewhere in it for her birthday!

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  2. My son was born on October 13- a little spooky...:)

    Plus, I love crafts. :)

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  3. My parents had a black cat (tuxedo) with white paws, chest and on the tip of her tail they adopted the minute I went off to college.
    Too bad I was allergic! It made for some itchy trips back home. I wish I wasn't allergic. I did love that cat, even if it made me sneeze.

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  4. The cat in the picture belongs to my ILs. His name is Sammy. I am pretty sure he has a tiny tuft of white under his chin.

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  5. I did have a black cat once, if I recall he had a small patch of white on his chest and that was it. His name was Ouiji.

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  6. We have a black cat named Zorro.
    He's the most loving cat I have ever met.
    He's jet black, but once in a while I find a single white hair on him. When he was a kitten you could see a bit of a tabby pattern in his coat, which was kind of cute.

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  7. I'm moving to England and getting a black cat. ;)

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