This Wednesday, August 17th is National Black Cat Appreciation Day, and when I saw this mentioned on the "National Today" article that appeared in my email, I knew I had to share with everyone. We have two amazing black cats living with us at the Sandy Wayne Sanctuary of Hope. Our first ever black kitty was Tar who came to us as a tiny, orphaned baby, less than two years ago. She was just a few days old and was taken to the local pound, along with three siblings, after their mom passed away. We brought them all here and tried to save them, but they were very dehydrated and barely hanging on when they were taken to the pound. Unfortunately, Tar was the only survivor. I could not have saved Tar without the help of our special guardian dog, Lumpy. He is amazing and helps us with every baby who comes to us for help. Lumpy bathed Tar, made sure she was nice and warm, and did all the caregiving other than feeding her. All the other pups at the sanctuary fell in love with Tar and she became a part of the family very quick.
Just a couple of months ago we brought our second black kitty to the sanctuary, and just like Tar, this little boy grabbed the hearts of everyone here. Our grandson Aaron named this little boy Inky. He is bob-tailed and a little fluffy, but not a long-haired cat. Inky was also taken to the pound after his owner was arrested, leaving him with no one to care for him. He was around 4 to 5 weeks old at the time, but he was eating dry kitten food like a big boy. The owner was supposed to return to the pound within a couple of days to pick his kitten up, but never showed. Although Inky was on "hold" pending release of his owner from jail, we brought him home with us the day he was taken to the pound due to his young age. Once it was determined the owner would not be coming back for his kitten, we had already fallen in love and knew Inky would not be leaving our home. It took a few weeks, but he has finally won Tar over and the two of them are great friends and playmates. Tar is very calm, other than when she is playing with Inky, but Inky is a pistol and full of energy.
So, on Wednesday we will be celebrating these two beautiful black kitties, and we hope you will join us in educating the public of how amazing it is to have a black cat as part of any family.
Here's the article we pulled from the e-mail about black cats and informing everyone of National Black Cat Appreciation Day:
HISTORY OF NATIONAL BLACK CAT APPRECIATION DAY
Have you ever feared a black cat crossing your path? This is from ancient superstitions where people thought this meant bad luck. For many cultures and historical settings, black cats were actually meant for positive things. So, to try and dispel these myths about black cats, National Black Cat Appreciation Day was created to be celebrated on August 17 every year.
Today, pop culture loves black cats. There’s the sarcastic Thackery Binx in “Hocus Pocus”, Salem, in “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” and Pyewacket in the classic “Bell, Book and Candle,” and we can’t forget the classic cartoon black cat, Luna in “Sailor Moon.” Black cats are seen as loyal companions, and this is what they were seen as for a lot of cultures in history too.
So, who’s to blame for this negative black cat spin? Superstition! But mostly because during the Middle Ages, people (mainly the Catholic Church) saw witches as shape-shifting black cats and the damage was done. From then on, black cats were seen as evil entities for years and years to follow.
But not everyone sees black cats this way. In fact, black cats are actually welcomed by a lot of people. For some, a visit from a black cat means good luck, and for others it meant prosperity or romance. Hey — in some cultures black cats are even worshipped. Basically, there’s no need to fear them. On this day, we celebrate our cuddly friends, no matter what color their coat is!
NATIONAL BLACK CAT APPRECIATION DAY TIMELINE Middle Ages Witch "familiars" During the Spanish Inquisition, the Catholic Church associated black cats with witchcraft. 1919 Cartoon cat appears for the first time Felix the Cat debuts in "Feline Follies." 1993 Binx arrives "Hocus Pocus" premieres with one of its stars being a black cat named Binx. 1996 Salem is introduced in television Everyone’s favorite teenage witch, Sabrina, makes her TV debut with her sidekick, Salem
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