Cats

Cats are a presence in many of our homes. However, cats have not always enjoyed the pampered luxury that many do today. Their history has had its share of ups and downs.
The earliest form of a cat was known as Dinictis, and appeared on the scene about 40 million years ago. It was not until around 4000 B.C. that they came to enjoy the company of humans.

Egypt was among the first places where cats and humans came to live together. The permanent human settlements attracted rodents, which in turn attracted the cats. The cats became deeply respected, and were raised to the status of gods. The Egyptians even had an imposed death penalty for anyone who was caught killing a cat. Images of the cat are splashed throughout Egyptian artifacts, and even cat mummies have been found. The popularity of cats grew, and they soon became welcomed in other countries and were exported around the world.

Unfortunately for the cat, a few thousand years later their luck changed for the worst. In the 1400s, they were falsely accused of everything from representing evil to spreading the Black Death. Pope Innocent VII believed that witches worshipped Satan and took the form of their cats, and the cat’s habit of prowling at night seemed to provide further evidence to that ideal. A cat found in the company of a woman accused of witchcraft was assumed to be her associate, and many were burned at the stake along with their owners.

During the 17th century, cats were recognized as being excellent mousers, and within a hundred years had once again become popular household pets. Some cats today live such pampered lifestyles that they are better off than their human counterparts.

For the superstitious, cats have a whole other meaning and can be used for predictions of everything from the arrival of company to signs of good and bad luck. A cat washing itself in the parlor is supposed to be a sign of company coming. A loudly crying cat on a boat meant a difficult voyage. A sneezing cat has been considered a sign of good fortune and future wealth. The Pennsylvania Dutch believed that placing a cat in the cradle of a newlywed couple would grant their wish for children. Killing a cat was often thought to bring about bad luck. Some feel black cats are lucky; others see them as bad luck. In some cultures, white cats are unlucky. In Japan, the calico is considered to be good luck.