The question in the title concerns Muslims and the word ‘haram’ means forbidden. The question, therefore, is asking whether a Muslim can be the owner and caregiver of a black cat as per the rules of the Quran. And the answer is yes, Muslims can own black cats and live with them because a black …
This is a continuation of cat superstitions around the world. I am pleasantly surprised to discover only one cat superstition in Indonesia although they have many. It is labelled as “Pamali” according to a contributor to the Quora.com website. Pamali is also an Indonesian folklore horror game! And this helpful Indonesian woman lists many superstitions …
If a culture has superstitions, they are bound to include the domestic cat. The domestic cat attracts superstition and has done so for many centuries. It is no different in Vietnam. But also, in Vietnam, there are many other superstitions. They are, I would have to add, a superstitious people. It has to be said …
It is that time of year when black cats need to be protected. Some rescue centres do not adopt out black cats during Halloween. There are people who like to abuse black cats in some sort of witchcraft black magic ritual at this time of year. More human superstition. Human superstition tends to be detrimental …
Why do black cats have a reputation for evil? It appears that an overzealous and cruel German priest and nobleman, Konrad von Marburg kick started the superstitious link between black cats and Satan in 1232. The conventional view is that Pope Gregory IX “initiated the feline Holocaust in Europe” by denouncing the black cat as …
Does black cat superstition come from Pope Gregory IX’s papal bull Vox in Rama? Read More »
Our perception of the domestic cat and our lack of knowledge of the species (more so in the past than today) directs us to assign symbolic meanings to the cat. The primary symbol of the domestic cat is one of protection. For all symbolism the true meaning is personal. Symbolic cat meanings Mysterious Independent Intelligent …
Dr. Desmond Morris makes an interesting statement in his book Cat World. He writes about the Japanese Bobtail and says that the popularity of this short-tailed cat in Japan is partly due to the fact that there is a Japanese folk myth called a ‘bakeneko’ which warns that long-tailed cats can change into human form …
Japanese folk-myth ‘bakeneko’ – reason why Japanese Bobtail is popular in Japan Read More »
Cat superstitions still exist big time. They are considered to be a part of history but this is simply untrue. Nowadays superstitions surrounding the cat are tied up with a lack of knowledge of the cat and, frankly, sometimes distrust and dislike of the cat, just as was the case in medieval Europe. Education erases …
COMMENT: Sadly, due to a lack of education, many people in Kenya, especially along the Indian Ocean coast, still believe, hundreds of years after cats were persecuted during the Middle Ages, that domestic and stray cats are evil. As the spaying and neutering of cats in Kenya is probably rare, they procreate which doesn’t help. …
Across Kenya and East Africa many people still believe domestic and stray cats are evil Read More »
Filipinos are a superstitious race. Superstitious beliefs play an important role in their decision making according to my research. The Philippines is still considered a developing country. Is it fair to say that the citizens of developing countries tend to be more superstitious that those of developed countries? Perhaps but the Philippines has an excellent …
Everything on the internet about the Manten kucing rain making ritual is in Indonesian. This is the first page on the topic in English! 🙂 The problem: Google translate is not that good. It is difficult to understand the ritual from poorly translated Indonesian but here goes. From what I can glean from these rather …
2 cats used in ‘Manten kucing’ rain making ritual of East Java Read More »
I am going to stick my neck out, metaphorically speaking, and claim that the black cat superstition may have started with a Papal Bull of 1233 made by Pope Gregory IX. In the 13th century the church wanted to root out heretics and they sent an inquisitor whose name was Konrad von Marburg to begin …
What is the origin of the black cat superstition? Read More »
Today, I feel like diversifying. Pushing the envelope as I always like to do. One way of doing it is to address topics which are rarely addressed. One such topic is whether people of colour, specifically black people, don’t really like cats or companion animals in general. ‘Persons of colour’ refers to non-white people. It …
I’ll be brief. There is a curious early European tradition, based on superstition, which appears to have been brought forward to the modern age in some places, that kittens born in the month of May should be destroyed because if they are allowed to grow they will become “dirty cats”. I’ve just read an online …
May kittens should be destroyed – an early European tradition Read More »
You can easily link black cats with the specific superstition that they were agents of the Devil. Some people still believe it. You can link black cats to witchcraft and cat familiars i.e. cats belonging to witches, but it is harder to link black cats to Halloween because Halloween is a celebration in which people …
