Black Cat Appreciation Day

Posted on by Joyful2bee
Black cat.
My beautiful black cat, Norie.

August 17 is International Black Cat Day. This is my Norie.

You may have seen my recent blogs on black cats, with photos of my Norie. This post explains why black cats have been maligned and how beautiful and smart they can be. I hope that these words and photos will introduce black cats for the wonderful pets they can be.

In my experience with Norie, I find her to be intelligent, playful, inventive, curious, energetic, trusting, full of energy, and full of love. What do you think?

Why should there be an appreciation day for black cats? They have a long and varied history thanks to the cultures who labeled them as good or evil. In ancient Egypt, all cats, and especially black ones were treasured because of, or as the Egyptian Cat Goddess, Bast.

In Great Britain and Scotland, they were considered good luck for brides and for homes. During the shipping era, black cats were desired on board by the sailors;. They ate the rats that could contaminate their food supplies, and carry fleas which could also carry diseases. The wives of sailors also wanted black cats around the house as a sort of talisman to protect their sailor husbands away at sea.

April Pix 055
Black cats are little pantherettes!

Unfortunately, the USA, has not been kind to our black cat friends. When the pilgrims arrived with their religious culture, suspicion of anything unexplained also arrived. They blamed black cats, witches and other chosen scapegoats for their fears. Anyone who performed mysterious deeds, sometimes including healings, were considered sorcerers or witches. Black cats were implicated by association with these unfortunates. Their black color and mysterious golden eyes, linked these beautiful creatures, in the “ignorant’s” minds with the devil or witchcraft.

David and Cara's 002                                                          You can not see me!

Now some of these beautiful creatures are suffering just because of their color.

  • Did you know that in rescue and pet adoption agencies, black cats are the hardest ones to place?
  • Did you know that black cats are 5 times more likely to be put to sleep in these sites than other colored cats?
  • Did you know much of this is from prejudice founded on ancient superstitions?
  • Did you know that many people think all black cats look alike?

Beauty 048                                                 

I am such a great cat!

Let’s get in the 21st century folks! Black cats are no different than other cats, (well, in my opinion they may be more beautiful). They eat, play, sleep, are curious, loving, intelligent, hunters, just like most other cats. I have a confession to make. I am prejudiced for my black cat and I’m not evil!!

Black cat smiling at bubbles.
Should I try to eat it or pop it?

Since Norie was young, she loved to hide under a rug, in a cloth bag, or a box. If I don’t give her attention, she trills until I start “play looking” for her. She used to love my laptop computer case and even fell asleep in it once.

I have seen Norie grow from a 6 month old skinny little kitten to a full sized adult. She has such a delightfully funny, curious, affectionate, opinionated, and intelligent mind. She used to collect straws and little knick-knacks under my refrigerator, as well as under a rug on the floor.

Sometimes, when I am sitting in my recliner and look for Norie, she is lying on her back with her front paws relaxed on her chest and her hind legs sprawled open, just looking around. She does this often just to get a different view of the world, I guess. Often, after I take a shower, get dressed and sit on the side of the bed to put my shoes on, she comes and plops down in front of me like this. She makes me laugh every day!

Norie is quite a huntress. If she sees a shadow on the wall or a speck of dust she doesn’t recognize she checks it out. I caught her several times, faking chasing a bug in the bathroom. When I step on the scales in the morning she looks all around the scales and the wall, where we have seen a silver fish in the past.

If I see a bug, usually a silverfish, rarely a cricket, I call, ” Norie there’s a bug!” She rushes in and starts looking for it. She is my little bug zapper. I praise her every morning for this routine to let her know I appreciate her.

Before I moved to a condo, Norie loved to venture into the garage for a change of scenery or to “meditate” while sitting on top of my car, in the dark. Now she sits on my screened in porch and watches birds, bugs, lizards or whatever is moving. Her intelligence often amazes me.

The old saying about curiosity killing the cat can’t be true! Norie has an amazing curiosity about everything, and she is still very much alive. Water flowing from a faucet is one of her curious subjects. Bubbles cause her to sit and stare with eyes wide open as they fall. Sometimes, she will sit and watch me load the dishwasher from the counter.

I always close the curtains to the living room at night. One morning I came and found the curtain twisted and Norie sitting with the curtain partially around her body, looking out the window! Accident or planned? I don’t know. If it was an accident, she saw the opportunity in it to have a look out the window.

Norie twisted the curtain so she could see out the window.
Norie twisted the curtain so she could see out the window.

I can’t imagine why anyone would hate black cats or associate them with evil. I see nothing in my black cat but intelligence, curiosity, playfulness and love. She has been my friend, entertainment, and made me laugh many times. I can’t see anything evil in her, only a little mischievousness.

I think I'm pretty wonderful.
I think I’m pretty wonderful.

58 thoughts on “Black Cat Appreciation Day”

  1. What a great post. The first cat I remember as a pet was a black cat. He also had the white patch on his chest. His name was Midnight. That was over 50 years ago and thinking about him now, still makes me smile.

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    1. Thank you, Moonskittles. I am learning so much about cats. The abuse and suspicions about black cats was something I wanted to try to do something about, even in a small way. Glad you enjoyed the post!

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  4. Wow that is so crazy that black cats are 5 times more likely to be put down… your cats are so beautiful (also they are extremely impressive writers). It’s so terrible the things that get done to some animals because of superstitions. Have you seen any stuff about how Aye-ayes have been treated because they are thought of as unlucky? Great piece, although I’m sorry it’s a topic that’s even possible to write about!

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    1. Thank you, Sarah. I have heard of aye-ayes but no one around here has any, even the zoo. Poor little guys. By the way I didn’t think about the potential for confusion but I only have one black cat. Sister is a gray tabby. Glad you liked the article.

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  5. Hello ME,

    Wow! Your Norie looks exactly like our Miss Prissy Princess. Same color and color eyes too!
    Thanks again for your wonderful visit and comments on my recovery blog. I treasure all my Cyber friends XOXO I had no idea it was Black Cat day … Aren’t our babies such Fun!

    Hugs & Blessings to you & yours,
    Catherine 🙂 🙂

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  6. We’ve had three sets of cats in our live (we’re on our 3rd set) and none of them have been black cats. We are partial to Siamese and I don’t think they come in black (although we’ve had a seal point…) I took a really nice picture of a black cat in Saint-Remy-de-Provence when were were there last month, but it got deleted when I had a senior moment and deleted a BUNCH of my phones pictures. Duh…

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    1. Cats are amazing creatures whatever their color or breed. Norie was my first cat. When she almost died I think we had a special bonding. She saw me sobbing as I worried about her. Sister was my second cat and I love them both dearly.

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  16. I love blackies! They tend to get a bad rap due to foolish superstitious thinking. My Miss Kitty 🐈‍⬛ lived to age 19 and was a joy to know with a ton of character and big dimensions to her personality. She was a green-eyed rescue cat, who no one apparently wanted, as her belly was shaved from surgery, so she was all ❤️ mine! While her coat was a glossy black, she was a blue cream tortie (black, with a hint of rust flecks in her coat). 🐾🐈‍⬛❤️

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