Joyce Lavene and Jim Lavene | Cats and Witches

Like cats and mysteries, cats and witches just seem to go together. Witches have had cat familiars for as long as anyone can recall. They were friends and companions through bad times, during the executions, and dark days when witches were killed for their beliefs.

Witches and cats were both put to death during the fifteenth century and the reign of terror. Cats were thought to be evil entities that were feared by those weren’t witches. Cats were declared ‘dangerous beasts’ in France. People believed cats were witches in disguise. They were hunted and killed.

There were many myths about cats in those days. Their bite was said to be poisonous, and their claws were lethal. Even farmers who had cats to protect their food storage were afraid of them. Many people have said the Black Plague had a contributing factor of fewer cats that were around to kill rats.

Things began to change in the eighteenth century. Many people realized how foolish the witch trials were – as well as the deaths of thousands of cats. They began to understand the importance of cats again, much as the ancient Egyptians did.

Nowadays, cats are everywhere – the most popular pets. They remain mysterious and secretive, sometimes we don’t understand them but we still love them. They fill our lives with joy and magic..

They also like to appear in mystery novels. We have five cats in our new book, SPELL BOOKED, and each cat has his or her own personality. We have Isabella who has the spirit of a witch, and Barnabas who has the spirit of a minister. Harper has the spirit of a 200-year-old sailor, and Scooter – well – you’ll just have to read about Scooter!

Our witches would be lost without their cats, as many people we know would be. While the debate between cat owners and dog owners continues, we are all blessed to have the animal friends we have in our lives.