There is a grand conversation taking place on the For the Love of Black Cats (Black Cat Appreciation Page) this morning. I weighed in because of this meme below right, one of many making the rounds on social media during this time of year: The centuries-long–no, 800 years long–rally to hide your black cats because of what I now dub Schrodinger’s Satan Worshippers, who simultaneously adore, love and worship black cats, and hunt, torture and murder them on Halloween.
I’ve been weary of these lies and myths for quite some time now. Here at the Animal Refuge Center, as late as 2015-2016, we could not post black cats for adoption on social media without someone pointing out that black cats were “bad luck” or that evil, Satan-worshiping witches hunt and kill them on Halloween.
In retaliation, we created “Gimme That Old Black Magic” adoption promotions (which we launched on November 1st because no one wanted to adopt black cats during October), along with other media to debunk the superstitious poison that has cost countless pets–and historically, countless numbers of their owners, too–their lives.
The news of the ritual quickly spread, and the vile Pope Gregory IX urged action against the cultists. He wrote the Vox Rama, which was essentially a Holy Order for the extermination of all black cats in Europe. The Pope sent the order to powerful kings, emperors, and archbishops and started the crusade against cats.
Enforcers killed black cats all over the continent. At times, they killed even non-black cats for extra measure. This campaign was unfortunate for innocent citizens who lovingly kept these cats as pets. Most would lose a feline friend, but the non-cooperative ones would be accused of being Satanists, and also lose their lives.”
Since Pope Gregory IX was engaged in a massive smear campaign to combat heresy–heresy being ANY belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious Christian doctrine–he made the lie so vile, so disgusting, that it would not be questioned, and even so, his lie persists to this very day.
https://historyofyesterday.com/the-satanic-ritual-behind-the-unlucky-black-cat-d8ef2575328b
My response this morning, before I’d had a minute to check notes: “That is a big question. Our animal shelter put their foot down some years ago when we were posting black cats for adoption and one or two people spoke up about black cats being “bad luck” and I had my nose full of it. So we started an education promotion.
“There is too much ignorance as it is. And historically, I believe the issue with cats and witches and bad luck and paths crossing began back during the Salem Witch Trials era when Puritan principles and religious intolerance in America ran amuck. Before that time black cats were considered GOOD luck because of their intelligence and cleverness.”
https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/salem-witch-trials
This is one of those memes that I wish we could get to go away. Instead of feeding the cruel and superstitious knuckledraggers all this drivel, make a campaign to promote positivity, intelligence, cuteness.
Blot out all the bad luck memes for good. I want this Puritan myth of black cats as evil minions of demons to go away forever. We have banished plenty other history that no longer serves civilized society. 
Banishing cruelty, religious superstition and ignorance should be next on our list. So many innocents would thank us for it.
