L.A. Vocelle's Blog, page 2

Room 8

Room 8’s official portrait.
(Photo by Roger W. Vargo)

Room 8 (1947-1968), a neighborhood grey and white tabby, gained his name by entering a 6th grade classroom designated as Room 8 in the Elysian Heights Elementary School in Echo Park, California in 1952. When he entered the classroom, he was quite thin, but that didn’t last for long. The children commenced to share their lunches with him and eventually he became plump. After he became the school mascot, an official “Cat Feeder” was appointed from the student body. This post was held with much respect and importance.

It was discovered by one of the teachers that Room 8 had been born in 1947 and was about 5 years old when he made the school his home. Oddly enough, he seemed to disappear during the summers but always reappeared in the fall with the beginning of the new school year.

 

Sep. 14, 1964 The Elysian Heights Elementary mascot catches a cat nap while a first grade class performs the flag                                                                        salute. (John Malmin, Los Angeles Times)

 

Staff and Students with Room 8, 1962

As the years passed, Room 8’s fame grew. In 1962, Look Magazine published a three page article on him titled Room 8: The School Cat. He was also featured in a TV documentary, Big Cat Little Cat. And in 1966, two teachers, Virginia Finley and Beverly Mason published a book A Cat Called Room 8. Throughout his lifetime, Room 8 received more than 10,000 letters as fan mail.

Looking over his fan mail at Elysian Heights School on September 14, 1964. (Photo Art Worden-Herald-Examiner Collection -LAPL Archive).

 

1966-Held by Cheryl Bates, 11, in front of bungalow at Elysian Heights Elementary School. Los Angeles Times

While attending the summer school session in 1968, Room 8 died at the ripe old age of 21 from kidney failure on August 13. He was honored with a three column obituary in the Los Angeles Times, and it was run in other papers as well. Room 8 was buried at the Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park in the presence of a small number of people including the Nakano family who had cared for him in his last years. They placed a small bouquet of flowers from their garden that he loved sniffing on his grave. Students raised the funds for his headstone which stands prominently in the Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park in Calabasas.

 

 

Room 8’s legacy lives on today in the form of The Room 8 Memorial Cat Foundation which was started in 1972.

Room 8 is also memorialized at The Elysian Heights Elementary School.  A large mural painted on the outside of the school reflects his larger than life presence. Additionally, a sculpture, poems etched in the sidewalk in front of the school and photographs of the cat can be seen in the school hallways. Room 8 will never be forgotten.

A distinguished portrait, in color, at Elysian Heights Elementary(Photo Lori Galarreta-KPCC)

 

A portrait outside room 8 classroom. (Photo Lori Galarreta-KPCC)

 

 

Want to know more about the cat in art, history and literature? Then Revered and Reviled is the book for you. Now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. 

 

 

 

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Related posts: Mike, The British Museum Cat (1909-1929) Trim, the Ship’s Cat

Cats in Film-Bell, Book and Candle (1958)

The 1958 film Bell, Book and Candle, which is a reference to the ceremony of excommunication, begins with “Ring the bell, open the book, light the candle,” and ends with “Ring the bell, close the book, quench the candle.” The film features Pyewacket a Siamese and familiar of the lead female character Gillian Holroyd played by Kim Novak.  The name Pyewacket refers back to the name of a witch’s familiar mentioned by Matthew Hopkins, the witchfinder, in 1644.

The story takes place in New York’s Greenwich Village and revolves around Gillian’s attraction to her new neighbor Shep Henderson played by James Stewart. By the way, because of his age, Stewart decided that this would be his last role as a romantic lead. Gillian uses her familiar, Pyewacket, to place a love spell on Shep so that he breaks off his engagement and falls madly in love with Gillian.

 

 

Wracked by guilt, Gillian later admits to Shep that she is a witch and that she has cast a spell on him. Jack Lemon plays Gillian’s warlock brother who helps to cause problems between them. However, it is Pyewacket that brings them back together at the end of the film.

 

The film’s producers launched a nationwide search to find the perfect feline co-star for Kim Novak and James Stewart. “We want a cat with an Ava Gardner personality” they said. Julian Blaustein remarked, “We have interviewed some alley cats, er, short-haired domestics. But we decided to go for a Siamese. The cat has to have an air of mystery.” After a wide search, producers chose a Siamese owned by Frank Inn, a Hollywood animal trainer. It is said that there were nine cats that played the role, one of which Kim Novak adopted. Houdini was one of the many cats who played the role. The other cats were professionally trained, but Houdini was untrained and chosen to play the part because he was photogenic and well-socialized. It is Houdini that is seen in most of the close-up shots. Unfortunately, the film crew wanted him to do stunts such as jumping up on the bookcase which they could only get him to do by scaring him. Houdini ended up stressed and was said to have never recovered from the experience. However, as some consolation, Pyewacket won the PATSY (Picture Animal Top Star of the Year) award in 1958.

 

 

Bell, Book and Candle is a delightful film with top human and feline stars that is a must see for cat lovers. To see the full movie for free, click here. 

 

 

Want to know more about the cat in literature, art and history? Then Revered and Reviled is the book for  you. Now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats.

 

 

 

 

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Related posts: HISTORY OF BLACK CATS AND FRIDAY THE 13TH The Cats of Ulthar Mike, The British Museum Cat (1909-1929)

Gli the Famous Cat of Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

@hagiasophiacat

Gli, whose name in Turkish means union of love, has lived in the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul for many years happily greeting tourists to the historic spot. Hagia Sophia, built in 537 AD, was a Byzantine cathedral before it was turned into a mosque by Ottoman conquerors in 1453. The church served as a mosque up until 1934 when it was converted into a museum. Now, today, the President of Turkey has declared that the museum will be opened again as a mosque. Many were worried about the fate of Gli the cat who has called the museum home for over 16 years.

The European shorthair tabby cat with green, crossed eyes has been a favorite with visitors, but shot to worldwide fame when the former US President Barack Obama was caught petting her during his 2009 trip to Turkey. Today Gli has more than 54,000 Instagram followers.

Gli was born in 2004 in the museum and had one brother Pati and a sister Kizim. Gli has had only one kitten and unfortunately, she was hit by a tour bus and succumbed to her injuries. Gli is known to be a real “queen” as many have noticed her regal attitude.

@hagiasophiacat

For the time being, tourists need not be worried about not being met by Gli. Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesman for President Tayyip Erdogan, said, “That cat has become very famous, and there are others who haven’t become that famous yet. That cat will be there, and all cats are welcome to our mosques.”

 

@hagiasophiacat

 

@hagiasophiacat

 

@hagiasophiacat

 

@hagiasophiacat

 

@hagiasophiacat

 

Want to know more about the cat in literature, art and history? Then Revered and Reviled is the book for  you. Now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. 

 

 

The post Gli the Famous Cat of Hagia Sophia, Istanbul appeared first on THE GREAT CAT.

Related posts: Mike, The British Museum Cat (1909-1929) Trim, the Ship’s Cat

How the Willows Came to be Called Pussy Willows

From The Sacred Heart Review, Volume 15, Number 15, 11 April 1896

The legend of cats and pussy willows. 

There was once a great city in Asia which was built so long ago that even the name of the city and of its people has been forgotten and everything else about it except one little story. The people were very fond of cats and there were great numbers of them all about the city. These people believed that cats were sacred animals, fed them well, treated them kindly, and when they died made little dummy cats out of them. When the city was very old there came a great flood which covered the earth. Cats do not like water, and when it began to rain so hard the cats and kittens were very unhappy. When the ground grew wet and muddy, they tried to find trees into which they could climb to keep dry. The old cats remembered that there was a great forest of big trees on some mountains a long way off, and they set out for it on the run. The kittens started too, but they could not run so fast or so far and their little legs grew tired trying to run through the deep mud, and so when they came to a row of tall willow trees beside the river, they climbed up and rested themselves in the forks made by the branches next to the tree trunks. It was comical to see the tall slender trees full of kittens, some white, some yellow, but most of them very cunning gray Maltese kits like balls of fur or little gray squirrels. Soon each kitten rolled itself into a ball with its head thrust snugly between its paws so as not to feel the rain and the cold, and went to sleep.

 

It rained harder and harder and the water rose higher and higher, until the earth was covered with water and only the treetops were left above the surface. As the wind drove the waves hither and thither, they struck on the tree trunks and splashed mud over the little kittens until there was a thick coating of sticky mud on them so they could not move, and one could see nothing but little brown balls along the branches. So, they stayed day after day till it stopped raining and the sun shone again. At last the water dried away and the earth appeared, but the kittens still slept, for the shell of mud over them was so thick they did not know the rain had stopped. But the sun shone warm upon them and dried the mud, until, as it dried, it cracked open and the sunshine reached the kittens underneath and one could see through the cracks of yellow white and gray fur. Then the little cats woke up, put their heads through the cracks and then pushed clear out. The shells of mud fell down to the ground, and it was like the blossoming of a flower, for all along the branches, where just before were the dull brown balls of mud, shone the soft, smooth, furry balls of gray and yellow and white. If you look at the willow trees and bushes beside the brooks in the month of March, you will find the little brown balls or buds all along the stems. If you watch them as the sun shines on them day by day, you will see the brown shells crack and you can see the gray, yellow and white fur underneath, till at last the brown shells will fall to the ground. Then you will see the dainty gay, white and yellow “pusses” or ” pussy-willows” all along the stems with their fur as smooth and as soft as the prettiest kitten you ever saw. A few days later you will see the strings of willow seeds hang down like little kittens’ fluffy tails. And so we call the willows ” pussy willows ” and call the string of seeds “catkins,” in memory of the little kittens of the old forgotten city and the way they lived safely through the days of the flood.

Today in Europe and America pussy willows are a symbol of spring and Easter. Pussy willows are sometimes carried on Palm Sunday instead of palm fronds.

In Iran, pussy willows are a part of the new year celebration of Nowruz on the first day of spring.

In Chinese tradition, the pussy willow is a symbol of prosperity. During Lunar New Year, stalks of pussy willows are sold in markets. These are then decorated with gold and red ornaments which symbolize prosperity for the new year.

 

 

Want to know more about the cat in literature, art and history? Then Revered and Reviled is the book for  you. Now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post How the Willows Came to be Called Pussy Willows appeared first on THE GREAT CAT.

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Mike, The British Museum Cat (1909-1929)

A tabby cat named Mike kept mice, pigeons and dogs at bay at the British Museum for almost 20 years.  Mike came to the attention of the well-known Egyptologist E. A. Wallis Budge when the resident cat Black Jack deposited a kitten at his feet, the future Mike.  He was noted to be friendly and to accept food from only a few of the museum’s employees.  In fact, he was known to avoid unwanted attentions and to even scratch those who came too close. In 1924, Mike retired from his official duties. When he died in 1929, Budge contributed an obituary to The Evening Standard.  The ending by FCW Hiley reads: 

 

 

 

Old Mike! Farewell! We all regret you,

Although, you would not let us pet you;

Of cats the wisest, oldest best cat,

This be your motto Requiescat!

 

 

 

A tombstone at the Great Russell Street entrance to the museum states: “He assisted in keeping the main gate of the British Museum from February 1909 to January 1929.”

 

Want to know more about the cat in literature, art and history? Then Revered and Reviled is the book for  you. Now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. 

 

The post Mike, The British Museum Cat (1909-1929) appeared first on THE GREAT CAT.

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Trim, the Ship’s Cat

Trim was a seafaring cat who accompanied Matthew Flinders on his many adventures. Trim was born on board the HMS Reliance in 1799 while it was sailing from the Cape of Good Hope to Botany Bay.

The 25 year old lieutenant, Matthew Flinders, took a liking to the kitten right away after seeing what a brave mouser he was. When Trim fell overboard, Flinders noted ���this was far from being a misfortune; he learned to swim and to have no dread of the water; and when a rope was thrown over to him, he took hold of it like a man, and ran up it like a cat.��� Flinders named the black and white kitten after the butler character in the book Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne because of the cat���s devotion and friendship. Flinders noted that Trim ������grew up to be one of the finest animals I ever saw,��� adding, �����his tail was long, large and bushy��.��.��. his head was small and round ��� his physiognomy bespoke intelligence and confidence ��� his whiskers were long and graceful and his ears were cropped in a beautiful curve.��� He was jet black, but had four white paws and a white star on his chest and grew to weigh almost 12 pounds.

Flinders describes his cat���s one main flaw of extreme vanity.�� Trim would demand admiration from the crew who came to teach him tricks for their amusement. Trim was loved by the whole crew.

When Flinders was given command of the HMS Investigator in 1801, he brought Trim along with him. In 1802, they completed the first circumnavigation of Australia. Two years later, the HMS Porpoise wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef, but both Flinders and Trim survived.

Flinders was then given the command of the HMS Cumberland; however, he was imprisoned as a spy by the French while docked in Mauritius for repairs in 1803. Trim stayed by Flinders side through his imprisonment, but Flinders wrote, the cat ���sometimes contrived to elude the vigilance of the sentinel at the door, and left us to make little temporary excursions in the neighborhood.���

Sadly in 1804, Trim disappeared and was never to be seen again even though a reward was offered. Flinders believed that his beautiful tuxedo cat had been stolen and eaten by a hungry slave. Flinders wrote in his tribute to Trim, ���Thus perished my faithful intelligent Trim! The sporting, affectionate and useful companion of my voyages during four years. Never, my Trim, ���to take the all in all, shall I see thy like again������; but neer wilt thou cease to be regretted by all who had the pleasure of knowing thee. And or thy affectionate master and friend, he promises thee, if ever he shall have the happiness to enjoy repose in his native country, under a thatched cottage surrounded by half an acre of land to erect in the most retired corner a monument to perpetuate thy memory and record thy uncommon merits.���

Flinders remained imprisoned in Mauritius for six years. During that time, he wrote a tribute to his beloved companion Trim. To celebrate this bond, several statues have been erected to celebrate their friendship.�� Since the discovery of Flinders��� tribute to Trim and its wider publication, the two friends have been reunited in various statues in Australia and in the UK.

A separate plaque is dedicated to Trim, and bears the opening lines from the epitaph that Flinders wrote for his cat: ���To the memory of Trim, the best and most illustrious of his race, the most affectionate of friends, faithful of servants, and best of creatures. He made the tour of the globe, and a voyage to Australia, which he circumnavigated, and was ever the delight and pleasure of his fellow voyagers.���

Plaque outside the State Library of New South Wales, dedicated to Matthew Flinders cat Trim

 

To read Flinders��� Tribute to the Memory of Trim click here.

 

Want to know more about the cat in literature, art and history? Then Revered and Reviled is the book for�� you. Now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats.��

 

 

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The Christmas Cat, The Cat Who Loved Christmas

The Christmas Cat, The Cat Who Loved Christmas

by David R. Warren, published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cat that did What?

I sat on the couch admiring our Christmas tree. My wife and I had searched several tree lots before finding the perfect blue spruce. It was about 6.5 feet tall, full and plump. The tree smelled of fresh pine. Though the tree smelled great and looked beautiful, it was a royal pain to set up. My wife and I struggled to get the stubborn tree into its metal holder and to make it stand upright. Once it was standing we pulled out our plastic crates full of ornaments and twinkle lights. We went to work making certain to place each ornament in its proper place on the tree. We hummed along to Christmas songs by Bing Crosby, Burl Ives and many others. We even laughed as we heard about Grandma getting run over by a reindeer.

We were young and very much in love. It was our second year and we had not started our family. All we had was each other and a black and white cat named Friday. This would be Friday’s second Christmas with us. We had discovered the previous year that Friday really loved Christmastime. She loved batting Christmas balls off the bottom of the tree. She loved tugging on stocking that hung from our mantle and she enjoyed sniffing and nibbling on pine needles. Cats are very indifferent creatures and Friday was no exception. But when it came to Christmastime, our cat was a downright festive feline!

Because of her propensity to bat at Christmas bulbs, my wife and I made sure to keep the more valuable ornaments higher on the tree as we decorated it. After we finished trimming the Christmas tree and mantle, my wife called the cat down to inspect our work. Both of us figured that Friday would be thrilled to see the condo all decked out for the holidays.

After an extensive search, we discovered the cat was upstairs napping. We decided that we could show Friday the tree later and also decided a nap was a good idea. My wife and I napped for an hour and then got up to work on Christmas cards. Once again we searched for the cat and this time we could not find Friday anywhere, I looked in each room upstairs and my wife searched diligently downstairs. Friday, the cat who loved Christmas, was no where to be found.

My wife became frantic as more time passed and there still was not sign of Friday. I grabbed my boots, deciding�� that maybe the cat had escaped and gone outside. Then I heard my wife laughing and saw her pointing at our newly decorated blue spruce. Our cat Friday was sitting in the middle of our beautifully decorated Christmas tree.�� Somehow she had managed to climb into the tree and not knock off a single ornament or mess up the lights.

She peeked out at us and seemed to say, “What’s the big deal? I’m just in the center of the tree enjoying another holiday season!” We laughed and grabbed a camera. She said she wanted to remember the moment forever. I thought to myself, I won’t require a photograph to remember this!

That’s the way it is with pets. They become a part of the family and give you a lifetime of memories. Like all memories some are happy and some are sad.��

Several years later, my wife and I were decorating another Christmas tree. This time our daughter was around to help us. Unfortunately, this was the first Christmas with out Friday.�� She had died a few months prior to the holiday season. We were now seasoned veterans at putting the tree safely into the stand and we had many more ornaments to cover our tree.��

Once the tree was decorated, our daughter shouted, “Dad, get the stockings and candles for the mantle.”��

I went to the garage and opened a box full of extra Christmas decorations. At the bottom of the box sat a red and white striped stocking that had once been filled with catnip for Friday, the cat who loved Christmas.�� I paused for a moment and took a deep breath. I showed my wife the tiny stocking and she cried. We both missed our cat.��

A moment or two later, we both laughed simultaneously as we recalled the year that Friday camped out in the center of our Christmas tree. My wife showed our daughter the picture she had taken of Friday sitting inside our beautiful blue spruce. Our daughter giggled at the photo. She told us that we were lucky to have a cat who loved Christmas so much.��

Our daughter was right. We were lucky to have a cat that loved Christmas so much. We were lucky to have a cat that gave us many great memories!

 

Want to know more about the cat in literature, art and history? Then Revered and Reviled is the book for�� you. Now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats.��

 

The post The Christmas Cat, The Cat Who Loved Christmas appeared first on THE GREAT CAT.

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HISTORY OF BLACK CATS AND FRIDAY THE 13TH

ORIGINS

The fear of Friday the 13th has a long history, and black cats have always been associated with the day as a bad omen.�� The superstition revolving around this day may have started in the Middle Ages and is of course associated with Christianity.�� At Jesus���s last supper there were 13 apostles on the 12th day of Nisan, the day before his crucifixion on Good Friday (the 13th). Domenico Ghirlandaio���s representation of the Last Supper (1480), painted for Dominican Monks, who ��as inquisition judges, played a large part in causing the deaths of many so called witches and their loving cats. The fresco, shows Christ and the apostles sitting on one side of a long banquet table. While Judas, separated from all that is good, sits opposite Christ on a three legged stool, perhaps representative of the trinity, a lone cat, symbolic of Judas���s treason and the influence of evil, intently watches to his right.

 

The Last Supper
Domenico Ghirlandaio
Fresco, 1480
Monastery San Marco, Florence

 

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR AND BLACK CATS

Pope Gregory IX on June 13th, 1233, issued a papal bull, ���Vox in Rama,��� wherein the church proclaimed the cat a vessel of the Devil.

One of the five accusations against the Knights Templar, a religious and military order formed in the 12th century to guard and protect the Holy Land, was that they worshipped a black cat, which appeared during their ceremonies. ��Consequently, St. Dominic and the Dominicans would declare the black cat the embodiment of Satan, and they would be at the forefront of the Inquisition.�� From now on the church would use any association with cats as a tool to discredit those who threatened the power and control of the papacy by labeling them witches and/or heretics.��

 

 

On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrests of hundreds of Knights Templar.

 

The Devil Appears to St. Dominic of Calerueja Folio 313, Le Miroir Historical 1400-1410
Le Miroir Historical
1400-1410

TODAY

To this day black cats have been associated with the devil and Friday the 13th. Unfortunately, people still believe in these superstitions and black cats are the least likely to be adopted from rescue shelters.

 

 

Amazingly 17-21 million people are affected with parakevidekatriaphobia a fear of Friday the 13th, which makes it the most feared day in history. Those fearful of this day cancel airline flights, business meetings, and any other important activities. Statistics also indicate that there is an increase in accidents up to 52 percent on Friday the 13th. God forbid a black cat cross your path on this day.

But are people���s suspicions all wrong? Interestingly enough quite a few bad events have occurred on Friday the 13th. Are they just coincidental?

Nathan Bedford Forrest was born on July 13, 1821 first grand wizard of the KKKSam Patch, a daredevil, died jumping off Niagara Falls on November 13, 1829German bombing of Buckingham Palace, September 13, 1940Murder of Kitty Genovese in NYC, March 13, 1940On July 13, 1951, the state of Kansas was flooded with over 25 inches of rain.Bangladesh cyclone killed more than 300,000 people on November 13, 1970Disappearance of Chilean Air Force plane in the Andes, October 13, 1972��October 13, 1989, the US stock market had a mini crashMurder of rapper Tupac Shakur, September 13, 1996A 13-year-old boy in Suffolk, England, was struck by lightning. The lightning reportedly hit at 1:13, or 13:13 in military time on August 13, 2010On September 13, 2011, while walking home from work Jennifer De Carlo ducked into an alleyway to avoid a black cat crossing her path only to come upon a rabid dog the cat was running away from.Sinking of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, January 13, 2012.A film editor accidentally deleted the middle third of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on November 13, 2015.

 

Want to know more about the cat in literature, art and history? Then Revered and Reviled is the book for�� you. Now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post HISTORY OF BLACK CATS AND FRIDAY THE 13TH appeared first on THE GREAT CAT.

Related posts: Cat Superstitions by Country The Cats of Ulthar New Cat Breed Found – The Cat Fox

Cat Superstitions by Country

Throughout history cats have been seen as magical mystical creatures that are often times feared and sometimes revered.�� Man���s emotional response, whether positive or negative, has given the cat an important place in superstition and folklore throughout the world.

Most cat superstitions came into being during the 12th and 13th centuries. Due to the infamous witch hunts, cats became associated with witches, black magic, evil and Satan. It was even believed that witches could transform themselves into cats, an idea stemming from the cat���s association with the ancient Roman goddess Hecate.

Superstitions about cats have occurred all over the world, and some are uncannily the same. Here you will find a list of organized cat superstitions by country.

 

ASIA/BUDDIST

A light colored cat will bring silver to the home of the owner. A dark colored cat will bring gold to the home of its owner.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� A polydactyl is a bearer of good fortune.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��The body of a cat is the temporary resting place of the soul of a very spiritual person.Buddhist,��Burmese and��Siamese cultures believed that the body of a cat is a resting place of the soul of a very spiritual person. These select souls would inhabit the felines for the rest of their natural lives, thus allowing the departed soul to gain access to Paradise.

 

CHINA

A black cat is an omen for hunger and poverty.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ����Cats can see ghosts and are able to protect us from evil spirits.

 

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

The cat is a symbol of fertility and one buried in a field of grain will guarantee a good harvest.

��

ENGLAND

��If a cat leaves a house for good, illness will always reign there.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��If a cat claws at curtains, windy weather is predicted.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ����In Wales, if a cat���s eyes were dilated, rain was on the way.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ����Cats can cause storms at sea. There was a woman who was thrown overboard from a ship because she was accused of being a witch. In revenge, the woman called up a storm and wrecked the ship. This woman now haunts the sea as a cat. Fisherman still throw to her when out fishing in order to avoid her bad temper.It is said that the house cat can tell whether the soul of the dead person has ‘gone to heaven or hell: ��If immediately after death the house cat ascents a tree, the soul is ‘gone to heaven’; if it descends, the soul is ‘gone to hell’.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��If a funeral procession meets a black cat, another family member will die.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ����Wives of fisherman on the Yorkshire coast believe that their menfolk will return safely if a black cat is kept in the house.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��A cat sleeping with all four paws tucked under it means cold weather is coming.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��A cat sleeping in a crib can suffocate a baby. In fact, a jury in Plymouth found a cat guilty of infanticide in 1791.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��Whenever the cat of the house is black, the girls will have no lack of lovers.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ����It is bad luck to chase away a black cat.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ����If a cat washes behind its ears, it will rain.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��If a young woman is unfortunate enough to step on a cat���s tail, she will not get married that year.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ����If a cat was placed inside the wall during the construction of a building, it would protect the house from rats. (Many old houses have been found to have cats buried in their walls.)If a cat runs in front of a fisherman on his way to fishing, he will have good luck. However, if a cat just crosses his path, this is a bad omen.To cure a sty on an eyelid, you needed to rub it with the tail of a black cat.

 

EUROPE

Cats are able to bring the dead back to life. In Southern Europe, if a cat jumped across a person���s grave, the person would come to life as a vampire.

 

FRANCE

 

The black magical cat, matagot, could bring wealth to its owner.��

 

Seeing a tortoiseshell cat in Normandy is an omen for a death by accident.

 

It is bad luck to cross a stream carrying a cat.

 

ICELAND

According to legend, there is a frightening Christmas Cat or Yule Cat, J��lak��tturinn, who prowls the snowy countryside and eats anyone who did not get new clothes for the cold and wintery weather because this meant they had been lazy.

 

 

INDIA

 

Hindus believed the cat was the symbol for fertility and childbirth.

 

Grey Cats are lucky.

 

If when setting out for a journey, you see a cat on your left side, then this is considered a good omen.

 

When a cat gives birth to kittens, this is believed to be a good omen, as evil spirits will never enter the house. It is also believed that there will be prosperity for the family within three months.

 

If a cat follows a person coming out of a house, then there will be a monetary gain for the family.

 

Repeatedly wiping one ear three or more times is an indication that guests are expected.

 

Seeing three black cats together is considered very lucky.

 

If you see a cat while entering a city, village or house, it is a bad omen.

 

If a cat licks the foot of a woman, her father in law may face danger for his life.

 

If a cat licks the forehead of a lady, then it is considered bad for her husband���s health and life.

 

If a cat jumps on a sleeping person, it is considered a bad omen.

 

If a cat calls repeatedly while someone is going out of a house, then there will be some danger to that woman or man���s life in the near future.

 

INDONESIA

Wet cats make it rain.�� If people wanted it to rain, they would pour water over the cat. The cat then, in revenge, would make it rain.

 

IRAN

Accidentally eating a cat hair will cause madness.

 

Splashing water on a cat one may cause warts.

 

Killing a cat produces fainting spells or death, and beating it, especially in the dark, is certain to cause homelessness.

 

To cure female infertility take some cat hair, some game meat, and a string of seven colors to the bathhouse and cast them in the oven.��

 

IRELAND

A large black cat with a white patch on its chest, called the Cat Sith, wanders around Ireland and Scotland looking for dead souls. If she was able to curl up near the body, she could take the soul of the deceased person.

 

Ancient Celts believed a cat���s eyes were the doorway to another world.

 

A kitten born in May (especially on the first of May) will become ill behaved and troublesome. It may even be responsible for bringing snakes into the house.

 

To kill a cat brings seventeen years of bad luck.

 

A black cat crossing one’s path by moonlight means death in an epidemic.

 

ITALY

If a cat lay on the bed of a sick man, he would die.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ����A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. It means money is coming your way. However, if a cat sneezed three times, you will come down with a cold.

 

JAPAN

Japanese Bobtails are less likely to bewitch you.

 

Japanese sailors have long taken tricoloured or me’kay cats on their ships to bring them good luck.

 

The figure of a cat with its left paw raised, the beckoning cat, is believed to bring good fortune to its owner.

 

Tortoiseshell-and-white cats are the luckiest, especially tortie tomcats (as they are quite rare).

 

If a cat washes its face, it is a prediction that a visitor will be arriving.

 

If a cat was born with a black mark on its back and the black mark resembled a woman wearing a kimono; one had to show the cat the utmost respect. The mark meant that the spirit of a lost ancestor possessed the cat.

 

Black cats can heal sick children and even guard against evil entering your home.

 

If a cat is grooming itself, that means unexpected visitors are coming.

 

In ancient Japan, it was thought that somewhere on the tail of a cat there was a single hair that would restore life to a dying person.��

 

MADAGASCAR

 

In Madagascar it was believed that the souls of the unburied dead would enter a cat.

 

ROMANIA

Transylvania, if a cat jumps over a corpse, the corpse will become a vampire.

 

RUSSIA

When moving into a new home, always let the cat enter first for good luck.

 

Russian Blue Cats are considered lucky.

 

SCOTLAND

A strange black cat on your porch brings prosperity.

 

If a cat entered a room where a dead body was lying in state, the next person to touch the cat would be blinded.

 

THAILAND

The Korat cat is considered to be a lucky cat bringing prosperity to its owners. The Korat cat was often used in rain-making ceremonies. Water would be poured on the cat believing this would call forth the rain clouds.

 

Two Korat cats could also be given to a bride as a wedding gift to ensure prosperity. The Korat cat���s fur symbolized silver.

 

THE NETHERLANDS

Cats are able to spread gossip, so they were not allowed in rooms where private family discussions were going on.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��To reverse the bad luck curse of a black cat crossing your path, first walk in a circle, then go backward across the spot where it happened and count to 13.

 

UNITED STATES

If you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb, stamp it in the palm of your hand, and make a wish. The wish will come true.

 

The Pennsylvania Dutch placed a cat in a newlywed���s empty baby cradle. The cat was supposed to grant their wish for children.

 

In the American South, those who drowned cats were punished by the devil.

 

If a cat sat on your grave, you were possessed by the devil. And two cats fighting either on a grave, or near a dying person, were actually an angel and a demon fighting over the soul.

 

A cat can decide whether or not a girl should get married. The debating bride-to-be takes three hairs from the cat’s tail and wraps them in paper, which she then places under her door step. If in the morning, the cat hairs are arranged in a Y pattern, the answer is Yes, but if the hairs form the letter N, the answer is no.

 

Dreaming of white cat means good luck.

 

To see a white cat on the road during the day is lucky. ��

 

It is unlucky to see a white cat at night. (American superstition)

 

Pennsylvania German tradition, cats can help a woman who is anxious to get married. All she has to do is ���feed the cat from her shoe,��� although the superstition doesn���t say what���s supposed to happen next���or how to get the uneaten cat food out of the shoe.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ����To see a white cat on the road is lucky.

 

It is bad luck to see a white cat at night.�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��When moving to a new home, always put the cat through the window instead of the door, so that it will not leave.

 

UNKNOWN

If a black cat walks onto a ship and then back off again, the ship will sink on its next voyage.

 

 

Want to know more about the cat in literature, art and history? Then Revered and Reviled is the book for�� you. Now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats.��

 

The post Cat Superstitions by Country appeared first on THE GREAT CAT.

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10 Most Expensive Cat Breeds in the World

Ever wondered what the most expensive cat breeds are? Well, wonder no more. Here is a list of the top ten.

 

10)�� Ragdoll $1,000

The Ragdoll is a popular breed that has silky long hair and clear blue eyes. Ragdolls are calm and can adapt to any environment. Plus they are great with small children.

 

 

9)�� Peterbald $1,000

The Peterbald Cat is a breed from Russia. It is similar to other hairless and bald cats such as the Sphynx and some Oriental breeds. A fairly new breed, coming into existence in 1994, the Peterbald is a cross between a Hairless Donskoy and an Oriental Shorthair. There are five variations, not all bald.

 

 

8) Maine Coon $1,200

If you want a huge cat, then the Maine Coon is the one for you. These felines are large, long haired, intelligent and sturdy. Maine Coons are perfect for cold weather climates, as their thick fur is both warm and water-resistant. Their regal heads are topped by tufted ears.

 

 

 

7) Egyptian Mau $1,800

It was an Egyptian Mau that was featured in the movie Cat Woman most probably owing to its mystical background. Maus feature wildcat-like spots and jade eyes. They are also known as the fastest of the domestic cats.

 

 

6) Siberian Forest Cat $2,000

The Siberian Forest Cat is sometimes confused with the Maine Coon as both are large breeds. The Siberian weighs a whopping 25 lbs. ��A Russian breed, they are bred to survive the cold and harsh weather conditions.�� Siberians are an old breed that have existed for 1,000 years. Siberian Cats have a relatively long average life span of 15�� years.

 

 

5) The Scottish Fold $2,000

The Scottish Fold is known for its unique ears which are folded downward or backward. As per its name, this breed originated in Scotland in the 1960���s. Scottish Folds make great pets, as they are even tempered.

 

 

 

4) Bengal Cat $10,000

Bengal Cats are a cross between a Bengal, Snow Leopard and domestic cat. This mixture of wild cat and domestic is especially appealing. But it is their coat that attracts attention with its gorgeous spots. ��Bengals are highly active and need to play.

 

 

 

3) Khao Manee $11,000

The Khao Manee originates in Thailand and was a protected species for many years. In 1999, the breed arrived in the US in order to begin a breeding program to help the breed from dying out. White with odd colored eyes (blue and green), it is also called the Diamond Eye Cat. The Khao Manee is not yet a registered breed.

 

 

2) Savannah Cat $20,000

The Savannah Cat is a cross between a domestic cat and an African Serval. Tall and sleek, their coats vary in color from golden to smoke. Savannah���s are energetic and get along well with dogs.

 

 

1) Ashera Cat $16-125,000

Topping the list is as the most expensive cat breeds in the world is the Ashera Cat. Similar to the Savannah, it is a mix of an Asian Leopard, African Serval and domestic house cat. Even though it is part wild-cat, this cat has a calm demeanor. The Ashera is dog like and full of energy.

 

 

 

Want to know more about the cat in literature, art and history? Then Revered and Reviled is the book for�� you. Now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats.��

The post 10 Most Expensive Cat Breeds in the World appeared first on THE GREAT CAT.

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