13 Black Cat Curiosities You Might Not Know
1 - Did you know that there is more than one breed of cat that has completely black coat? An American cat-focused association recognizes 22 different breeds of black cats, the most popular being Bombay .
2 - By the way, these animals are bred specifically to look like mini black panthers and the breed was developed by a US breeder named Nikki Horner - who took 30 years to successfully breed these animals.
3 - And do you know where the talk that black cats are unlucky came from? One possibility is that the myth arose in ancient Greece and is related to a legend involving the Greek deities Zeus and his sister and wife, Hera.
4 - According to legend, Zeus “jumped the fence” and impregnated a princess named Alcmena - who became Hercules' mother - and Hera, of course, wanted to find a way to prevent the birth of the baby. But one of Alcmena's servants interfered with Hera's plans, and as punishment the betrayed deity turned her into a black cat and sent her to serve the goddess of death.
5 - The druids also had a legend related to black cats. To this people, felines of this color represented reincarnated humans who returned to the world to pay for the wickedness they had committed in their lifetime.
6. The association with witches and the evil was only made in the Middle Ages, and apparently is related to the fact that women accused of witchcraft were often banished from communities and ended up caring for abandoned animals (and cats).
7 It wasn't long before black cats began to be associated with spells and witchcraft - and even rumors began to circulate that witches could turn into these felines.
8 - One legend is that a black cat once crossed the path of a man and his son on a road and, frightened, both threw stones at the animal. Wounded, the animal sought refuge at a local witch's house, and later they both saw the woman limping and bruising. Obviously, they concluded that the poor thing was the cat the duo had attacked.
9 - To make the poor cats' reputation worse in the 13th century, Pope Gregory 11 published a document stating that black cats were the incarnation of Satan.
10 - Another belief of the Middle Ages that did not help much to make things better for black cats is that in Finland they were believed to carry the souls of the dead "beyond."
11 - And in Germany it was said that if a black cat jumped on the bed where there was a patient, that was a sign that the poor fellow would hopelessly kick his boots.
By contrast, there are various places in the world where black cats are considered to be “talismans” and would be responsible for attracting good luck, fortune and abundance. There are even cultures that believe that giving one of these animals to a bride on her wedding day can guarantee the couple a long and happy life.
13 - Sailors also consider black cats to be good animals, and formerly their presence on the boats, as well as helping to control the rat population on the boats, would ensure the safe return of travelers.
