Cats are exceptionally mysterious creatures. Over the centuries, the so-called "tiger on the hearth" has suffered a catalog of indignities that would
try the patience of a saint. At various times it has been considered either holy or diabolical, a bringer of good fortune or a hideous curse on
humanity. Early setters in America, fresh from Europe, were very superstitious. 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".

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 eye at night for
safekeeping. To kill a cat in Egypt could mean death to the offender. And to the Pharaoh's a black cat crossing their path meant 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 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. Suddenly the Ark was overrun with mice. Noah got down on his knees and again and prayed for
a solution. God suggested that Noah whack the sleeping male lion on the nose. He did, the lion sneezed, an out of his nostrils came the first pair
of cats.

Another version of the creation of cats comes from the Christian tradition. Apparently the devil, in one of his periodic attempts at creation, was to
make a man. As usual he failed miserably and, though his bungling, ended up creating the first cat.

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 to predict the future. 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 the sometimes spooks people.

CAT SUPERSTITIONS

If a black cat crosses your path, evil will soon befall you. (In England, this evil can be avoided by immediately spitting.)

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, 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 the breeze.

To meet a cat at midnight is to meet Satan, himself.

Never leave a cat alone with an infant. The call will suck the breath right out of the child and cause death.

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 coal mines are considered to be bad luck.

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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.

Cat Superstitions