Cat Folklore and Superstition
Folklore is the stories, beliefs, and customs handed down among people. Superstition is a belief or practice based on fear and ignorance, against the known laws of science.
Folklore is prevalent in each country of the world. Perhaps there are superstitions for everything that exists on earth.
These statements being the case, the domestic cat species has its own folklore and set of superstitions.
Some of the folklore and superstitions may be based on common sense. Some may perhaps be just ludicrous.
Through my research, I have uncovered some of the folklore and superstitions on the domestic cat. Some of the folklore and superstitions stated here you might already know. Some of the folklore and superstitions may be new to you. I hope all who read this would find this article interesting.
There is some folklore and superstitions that state cats can predict weather with certain behaviors. In Maine there is a belief that if a cat looks out a window there will be rain. This belief is not based on fact. Cats will look out a window when it is sunny or overcast. Cats look out a window if there is nothing moving around outside. I never know why a cat finds it entertaining to look out a window for hours. If hundreds of mice were scampering past, yes that should be interesting to a cat. Perhaps the people, who made up the folklore that if a cat looks out the window there will be rain, lived in an area where the sun never shined.
There is another folklore that states that there will be windy weather if a cat claws curtains and carpets. I have observed cats through the years. I have never witnessed any cat acting in this manner by just windy weather. If the winds were to be accompanied by a horrendous thunderstorm or preceded a tornado perhaps a cat would claw curtains and carpets. Most often I have seen cats hide under furniture when bad weather is coming, not clawing curtains and carpets. I have seen cats quite often clawing carpets without the excuse of bad weather. Some cats like to bat and claw at curtains when they are sitting in a window because curtains make nice playthings for cats.
Another folklore states that if a cat is restless and moves from place to place, hard winds are coming. A cat may perhaps be restless if any type of bad weather is coming. I have also observed that cats are restless during very hot weather. They move around from place to place trying to find a cool spot to lie.
In the early history of the United States it was stated that if a cat sat with its back to a fire in the fireplace, a cold snap was coming. This folklore is based on common sense. Anyone that owns a cat knows that cats often seek out the warmest places when it is cold. Cats can be sensitive to cold more than humans. It seems logical that a cat can be sensitive to a change in weather that will bring cold, long before humans are aware of this change.
There is a Welsh superstition that when the pupil of a cat's eye broadens there will be rain. Perhaps this superstition is based on fact. A cat's pupil could react to changes in atmospheric pressure. It seems logical to assume that even through it maybe slightly overcast outside, less light would be filtering into a cat's eye. The more that eye will broaden. Why does the superstition mention only one pupil? The eyes of any cat do not each react differently. One pupil does not become larger while at the same eye the other pupil is smaller. That would be an unusual cat indeed! A cat I used to own had strange eyes. Her eyes used to jiggle back and forth in their sockets.
Also if a cat sleeps with all four paws tucked under this means bad weather is coming. Cats like their feet warm. Of course if cold weather were coming, a cat would protect these sensitive areas from cold.
There are some folklore and superstitions concerning cats and sailing. One folklore states cats could predict a difficult voyage by loudly mewing. This folklore could be based on fact. Cats perhaps could sense a change in weather long before humans could be aware of that change. This folklore also stated that if a cat were playful the voyage would be good with gusty winds. I have noticed that cats are the most playful and into mischief when it is nice and sunny outside.
Sailors also have a folklore that if a cat licked its fur backwards there would be a hailstorm. If a cat sneezed there would be rain. I have never seen a cat lick its fur backwards or sneeze when it is going to rain, so I do not know if this folklore is based on fact.
One superstition stated if a sailor threw a cat overboard a storm would arrive. Well you get what you deserve or dish out. If a sailor was cruel enough to throw a cat overboard, he deserved a storm!
Another superstition that sailors had was if a cat ran ahead of a sailor to the pier this meant good luck. If a cat crossed the path in front of a sailor this meant bad luck. Do these beliefs mean that if good weather was coming, a cat would be eager to be on the ship? If bad weather was coming, a cat would attempt to prevent a sailor from leaving by tripping him?
A somewhat similar superstition stated that if a sailor was approached by the ship's cat this meant good luck. If the ship's cat only came half way this meant bad luck. My cat sometimes approached me half way and changed her mind and turned around. Does this mean I have bad luck?
In New England it is said that you can tell the time of day from the size of a cat's pupils. A cat's pupils will be nearly closed at low tide. The pupils will be opened at high tide. I do not know if this is based on fact. I tried to do further research on this folklore; I could not find any connection between the size of a cat's pupils and the tides.
There are folklore and superstitions concerning cats, marriage and courtship. In the Ozarks if a girl received a proposal of marriage and she was uncertain whether to say yes or no, she would place three hairs from a cat's tail into a folded paper. She would place the paper under the doorstep until the next morning. She would unfold the paper and see if the hairs formed a Y or N shape. You would think that this trick would work with hairs from any animal. Why do the hairs have to come from the cat's tail? Are the hairs from a cat's tail more special than hairs from other parts of its body?
The Pennsylvania Dutch would place a cat in the empty cradle of a newlywed couple to grant their wish for children. Cats are prolific breeders, so placing the cat in an empty cradle probably symbolized fertility. In Scandinavia, cats stood for fertility.
Another superstition states that if you dream of a black and white cat you will be blessed with the birth of a child. I dreamed of a black and white cat once, I never had a child!
If a girl likes cats better than dogs that means she will never marry. My mom likes cats better than dogs and she has been married twice. This superstition seems to imply that most men are cat haters and do not want a woman that loves cats. This superstition also seems to imply that a woman will always put her cat or cats before the needs of her boyfriend. This superstition seems to put a negative connotation on women who love cats. It is not a sin for a woman to love cats. Cats are my favorite animals; I feel nothing wrong in admitting this.
In France it was believed if a girl stepped on a cat's tail, she would not find a husband before a year was out. What if she stepped on two cats' tails or even more? Does that mean she would never find a husband?
There have been folklore and superstitions concerning cats and medicine. One folklore stated that if a person had a sty on the eyelid the cure was to rub your eyelid with the tail of a black cat. This folklore does not state if the tail had to be attached to the cat. I do not think a cat would allow you to rub your eye with its tail. Some cats do not like their tail touched. Instead of worrying about a sty on your eyelid, you will have cat hairs to pick out of your eyeball.
A superstition states if a black cat lies on the bed of a sick man that man will die. This is connected with the age old superstition that black cats are unlucky. Black symbolizes death, so also a black cat symbolizes death.
Another superstition says if you kick a cat, you will develop rheumatism in that leg. You get back what you dish out. What if you accidentally kick a cat? I have accidentally kicked my cat on a number of occasions, is that why my knees bother me?
A superstition from England says if a cat runs away from home there will always be illness at that home. This could be somewhat based on fact. An absent cat would no longer be killing the mice that could spread disease.
If you dream of being badly scratched you will be sick later. I know you can actually become sick later if in reality a cat scratches you. It would be impossible that a dream of being scratched will make you sick.
A dream of two cats fighting means you will have a quarrel with someone or you will become sick later.
There are folklore and superstitions concerning cats, farms and home. From New England is the superstition that if you move from one place to another it is bad luck to take your cat with you. What, you must leave the poor cat behind to pine away for you? What if you leave your cat behind and it follows you?
According to farmers if a cat is killed the cattle on the farm will die mysteriously. This is the same old adage- you get what you deserve.
A superstition in the United States says if you move to a new home you must put the cat through the window not the door then the cat will not run away. This implies that a cat is so stupid it will never discover there is a door. What if the cat runs away through the window?
From Scotland comes the superstition that if a strange black cat is on your porch it will bring prosperity. I had a strange black cat visit my porch once. It brought me pee on the porch swing cushion not prosperity.
In the Netherlands there is the superstition that your cats will spread gossips around town if they are in the same room when family discussions are going on. Talking cats, that is something I have never heard of. Everyone better put earplugs in their cats' ears when they are discussing their money problems.
In the 16th century in England, a visitor to someone's home must kiss the family cat. Love me, love my cat. If you do not love my cat then never come again.
In southern Texas if a cat washes its face you will have visitors. This trick must only work in southern Texas and not in other states. I live in New York State. When my cat washed her face, I never had visitors.
If you dream of a tabby cat there will be luck for your home and all who live there. I have dreamed of a tabby cat. I saw no luck for my home.
There are folklore and superstitions concerning cats, money and luck. A superstition from the United States says if you see a one eyed cat spit on your thumb and stamp your palm. Then make a wish and your wish will come true. I should try that trick; perhaps I will get a million dollars. I do not see a one eyed cat that often.
Another superstition from the United States says if you see a white cat on a road this means luck. It is not lucky for the cat if you run it over. Any cat regardless of its color should not be lingering on a road.
Another superstition from the United States says it is bad luck to see a white cat at night. If you see a white cat on a road at night does it cancel out the bad luck?
From the United States also is the superstition that stepping over a cat brings bad luck. Yes, it is bad luck if you fall on the cat while you are stepping over it.
If you stroke a cat's fur backward you will bring bad luck. When you stroke a cat's fur backwards, the cat will immediately lick it down straight. It is a minor annoyance for the cat; I do not believe that stroking a cat's fur backwards brings bad luck.
If you drown a cat, you will fall victim to a drowning. Yet again-you get what you deserve.
From France is the superstition that it is bad luck to cross a stream carrying a cat. I believe in this one. You may drop the cat in the water. Also a cat may not allow you to cross a stream carrying it. It will be bad luck for you if the cat digs up your face in fear.
Also from France it was believed by French peasants that black cats could find buried treasure. A peasant would find an intersection where five roads connected then turn a black cat loose and follow it.
Cats bought with money never make good mousers. You get what you pay for. A cat given as a gift from a caring person must be better than a cat bought with money. I had a cat that I bought with money. She caught two mice. I also had a cat given as a gift; she could not catch a mouse because she was declawed when I got her. The poor thing tried, the mouse got away.
Dreams of cats are sometimes connected with money and luck. If you dream of a ginger colored cat you will be lucky in money and business. A dream of a multicolored cat will bring you luck in making friends.
All the folklore and superstitions concerning cats that I have brought out in this article are probably only a small sample. There may be much more folklore and superstitions concerning cats out there. Perhaps there is enough for an entire book. I hope the small sampling I have brought out in this article made for informative reading.
Sources
Elementary Webster's New World Dictionary and Student Handbook 1972
Dictionary of American Folklore Marjorie Tallman 1959
website-www.xmission.com/~emailbox/folklore.htm
website-STAVAACADEMY.CO.UK/MIMIC/CATFOLKLORE.HTM
website-flippyscatpage.com/felinefolklore.htm
The Quintessential Cat Robert A Altman 1994
Funk and Wagnall's Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend Volume One A-I 1949
Highbeam.com Article Jerusalem Post 12/15/1996 D'Vora Ben Shaul
website-http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/folklore.htm#harming
website-http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/cat-lore.html
website-http://dailykitten.com/archives/462-Ralphie.html
website-http://www.cats.alpha.pl/superst.htm
Words by Amy Buchanan
Read 3479 times
Written on 2007-01-14 at 06:28
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