Black Cat Appreciation Day. Today shouldn’t be confused with National Black Cat Day and superstitions aside, cats are simply adorable, even black ones. So be sure to love on that stray one roaming around your neighborhood at night despite the nuisance.
We are believers in that these feline friends have been given a bad rap… help to change these misguided myths.
- The Egyptians revered all cats as good luck. Today, many cultures worldwide view black cats as good luck.
- Pope Gregory IX decided that black cats were used to worship the devil and saw them as evil creatures. The belief only continued to spread across the world – and the ages.
- In England (except Yorkshire) and Ireland, should a black cat cross your path, it’s good luck.
- In Great Britain, giving a cat to a bride in the English Midlands is good luck.
- Are you Scottish? A strange black cat arriving at your home means you may win the jackpot!(A stray black cat arriving on your doorstep signals prosperity.).
- If you’re German, you have to pay attention. If the cat crosses your path from right to left, that’s bad; left to right is good. Directionally challenged? We can’t help.
- If you’re a pirate, it gets even more complicated. If the black cat is walking toward you, it’s bad luck. If it’s walking away, that’s good. If the cat walks onto the ship and then back off—get off the ship, it’s going to sink. If you can get a cat to do any of those things on command, that’s impressive.
- Fishermen (and their wives) saw black cats as good luck, with many keeping them on their ships or in their homes. Black cats became so highly valued that some could not afford them.
- In Japan, black cats are considered symbols of good luck, especially for single women. Owning a black cat is thought to attract potential suitors.
- In Russia, all cats are viewed as lucky.
- There is not just one breed of black cat. There are 19 cat breeds in the Cat Fanciers Association directory that list “black” as a color option.
- Many black cats have golden eyes, which is the result of high melanin pigment content in their bodies.
- Black cats can be boys or girls, but more are male than female.
- Your black cat can rust. If your black cat has a tabby stripe gene and spends hours napping in a sunbeam, their fur can turn a rusty brown color. Why? The sun’s rays break down the pigment in their fur to reveal the underlying tabby stripes.
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