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
werenβt witches. Cats were declared βdangerous beastsβ 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 β 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 β the most popular pets. They remain mysterious
and secretive, sometimes we donβt 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 β well β youβll 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.
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