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2000-2001 Vol. I , Issue IV |
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Cats Through the Agesby Dianne Staley
Throughout history mankind's' impression of cats has run the gamut from gods to devils, from the best of luck to the worst. They are inscrutable, irascible and mysterious with a logic apart from other creatures. A nineteenth century authority on cats said it well, "We cannot, without becoming cats, perfectly understand the cat mind." But even without being understood, cats have lived alongside of man for thousands of years, playing an important role in daily life. About 5000 years ago in the Nile Valley, the African Wildcat began cohabiting with man. The relationship was beneficial to both. Grain storage attracted vermin, such as rats and mice; cats kept them in check, protecting man's food supply while assuring a ready food supply for themselves. Because the African Wildcat is a relatively calm cat, eventually they allowed humans to pet and hold them. Their loving dispositions and purring soon endeared them to the farmers, and a permanent bond was forged.
Because of the cats' status as demigods, the Pharaoh was technically the only one who could own them, since he was himself a god. Therefore, it was a crime to take a cat out of the country. Even so, some cats lived and worked as mousers on-board ships and barges. Eventually, some of those cats began to make their way onto Phoenician trading ships and into the various countries bordering the Mediterranean, and from there they spread by overland caravan to the north and east. As Romans began to invade Western Europe, and finally the British Isles, the domestic cat came with them. Cats were readily adopted into everyday life, providing relief from vermin to farmers and merchants alike. Since cats tend to be very self-possessed and somewhat mysterious, it wasn't long before superstitious beliefs and wives' tales sprang up around them.
Here's a common example: In the early Middle Ages, a person of 45 was considered old, nearing the end of their life expectancy. Due to a lack of medical care and poor hygiene, often they were stooped, with unsightly skin conditions and poor teeth - definitely not as attractive as they had been in their youth! Old women, no longer able to work, would sit by the fire to warm themselves and pet a cat held in their lap. From this has grown our stereotypical image of a witch (hag) with her cat familiar. As Christianity moved into the years of the papal Inquisition, cats suffered terribly. They were seen as manifestations of the devil. If a person was found guilty of witchcraft, it was a sure bet their cat was a familiar. The cat would be tortured and killed right along with its owner. It reached a point where all cats were assumed guilty and killed on sight. During those years the cat population of Europe dwindled to less than ten percent of its preinquisitional number.
With the advent of the Black Death, persecution of cats ceased; people were too busy burying the dead and trying to avoid the Plague. The cat population rallied somewhat, due to the now very available food supply. Cats were instrumental in ending the plague crediting a large debt from mankind. Although all cats enjoy hunting (if allowed to), they aren't born with the necessary skills to be successful. Hunting is a learned skill. Kittens will watch their mothers and other cats at work mousing, and then practice stalking and pouncing endlessly until they perfect it. A skilled mouser will, on average, successfully capture his prey only once out of three tries. Cats have an extraordinary sense of balance, which accounts for their ability to land on their feet when they fall or jump from high places. They are excellent climbers, using claws and legs to grip.
Cats are also wonderful at guarding and warning. They sleep very lightly and wake up alert instantly. Their hearing is more sensitive than either dogs or humans. At night a cat sees six times better than a human and needs 1/6th as much light. The Celts believed that a tortoiseshell cat (a cat whose coat is marked with red, black and cream) was good luck in a home. The English believed that torties could remove warts if you rubbed their tail on the wart during the month of May. Black cats were considered bad luck, especially if one crossed your path. The Scots consider a cat with six toes to be lucky. Sources
THE CAT IN HISTORY
Catly Instincts
Cat Trivia
Domestic Cat
What is a Tortoiseshell?
Cat Quotes
Black Cat Superstitions
About Author
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For years in Egypt the cat lived a charmed life. As Egyptian cities grew, the need for cats to protect the granaries also grew. To solve the problem, the Pharaoh declared all cats demigods and required the people to bring their cats to the granaries to protect them each night.
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