Are black cats still unpopular?

Are cats to blame for the Black Death?

In the mid-1300s, the Black Death was responsible for up to about 25 million deaths in Europe. Many people, including political and religious officials of the day, blamed cats for the plague. As a result, cats were annihilated. This turned out to be a costly mistake.

Why were cats associated with the Black Death?

They began to associate the plague’s new vigor with the cats and even with dogs. They believed that since both of these animals typically harbored fleas, they must be the cause of the plague. Subsequently, cats were outlawed in many parts of Europe, and huge numbers of cats and dogs were killed.

Are animals to blame for the spread of the Black Death?

It was even more common to blame animals for the spread of the disease. While this turned out to be somewhat correct, 14th century Europeans became completely fixated on the wrong animal.

Did the elimination of cats cause the black rat epidemic?

“For many years historians of medicine have understood that the virtual elimination of cats in medieval towns, beginning in the thirteenth century, led to an explosion in the black rat population. This in turn increased the virulence of the disease.”

What is the Black Plague in cats?

Cats and the Black Plague. The black plague, also known as the black death, is a disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It enters the body through the skin and travels via the lymph system. The bacteria live in the digestive tracts of fleas.

How did the Black Death spread through Europe?

The widespread cat massacres that followed Vox in Rama have also been suggested as an indirect cause of the Black Death, the plague that spread through Europe in the 14th century. The lack of cats led to an increase in rats and mice, which were alleged to have spread the plague.

Did cats cause the black rat epidemic in medieval times?

Engels declares confidently: “For many years historians of medicine have understood that the virtual elimination of cats in medieval towns, beginning in the thirteenth century, led to an explosion in the black rat population. This in turn increased the virulence of the disease.”

Why are Americans so afraid of Black Cats?

The fear of black cats traveled to the United States with the Puritans, who were on guard against all things of the devil, including witches and their counterparts—black cats. Over time, superstitions about black cats became embedded in American folklore.

What groups were blamed for the Black Death?

Some Europeans blamed various groups as Jews, beggars, lepers, and friars, while others blamed animals. The best-known superstition was about the bad luck of cats and their association with the devil. Many cats were killed as a result of this superstition, which exacerbated the problem of the plague.

Was the Black Death caused by rats?

The King of France was told by his medical faculty that the plague was caused by the conjunction of three planets that caused “a great pestilence in the air.” This explanation was widely accepted. In 1893, the historian, Aidan Gasquet, was the first to suggest the plague was caused by rats and fleas.

How do you treat the Black Plague in cats?

The cornerstone of treatment for the plague is antibiotics. Typically, injectable streptomycin, gentamicin or enrofloxacin are used initially until the fever and lack of appetite resolves. Once the cat is eating, oral antibiotics such as tetracycline or doxycycline can be prescribed.

What is the plague in cats?

It is called pneumonic plague, and it spreads through infectious respiratory droplets. Plague occurs all over the world, but in the United States it typically is seen only in the southwest. Infected cats do cause a risk to both owners and veterinary staff.

What happened to the house cat during the Black Plague?

Interestingly, the fate of mankind was curiously linked to that of the common house cat. When the cat populations rose, the pandemic ebbed, and when the cat population plummeted, the black plague made a resurgence.

How did the black rat spread to Europe?

It spread through the Mediterranean and Europe from Central Asia when sailors reached Crimea in 1343. At that time, black rats were regular passengers on merchant ships and it was most likely that they carried infected fleas back to Europe.

How many cats were killed in the Black Plague?

Several sources indicate the number of cats killed was approximately 200,000. The result of this extermination was the rapid proliferation of rodents, particularly the “black rat” which, as we saw above, was found out to be the main transmitter of the deadly Black Plague.

Did rats spread the Black Death?

For centuries, on paper, and in the minds of the people, rats have been guilty of causing the Black Death. However, new studies indicate that something a little bit closer to home than rats could be the main source of spreading Black Death.

Why were cats exterminated in the Middle Ages?

Cats – above all black cats, were exterminated in many regions of Europe because they were considered animals linked to witchcraft and demonic practices during the middle ages. ( Torange) In the late twelfth century in southern France there was the “First Inquisition” which was created by religious courts to combat heresy and witchcraft.

Why did some people blame the Black Death on animals?

Some people used the plague as an opportunity to scapegoat certain groups, blaming the plague on Jews, lepers, beggars, or other unpopular communities of people. It was even more common to blame animals for the spread of the disease. While this turned out to be somewhat correct, 14th century Europeans became completely fixated on the wrong animal.

Was there a cat massacre and Black Death?

And these claims and many of the ones in the articles noted above about the alleged cat massacre and the Black Death all reference one book as their support – Classical Cats: The Rise and Fall of the Sacred Cat (Routledge, 2001) by Donald W. Engels.

How did people react to the Black Death?

But the most extreme reaction to the plague was seeking out and persecuting scapegoats. Medical wisdom of the time traced the plague, correctly, to an outbreak in central Asia which had spread via trade routes and attributed it, incorrectly, to a combination of “bad air” and astrological alignments.