Cats in Medieval Times

Cats have been human companions throughout history, but not always a beloved companion. Medieval man, had an entirely different opinion of the cat.

Until Medieval times, the Egyptians had declared cats to be demi-gods, a high status allowing only the Pharoahs to own cats while lesser beings, their subjects could feed and care for cats. Because they were the property of Pharoah, if a cat died it had to be brought to the Priests who decreed if the death was natural or not. Woe be the person who brought an unnatural death to the priest.

Once the cause of death was determined, the cat was mummified and buried with all the ceremony due to a demigod. Since cats were the property of the Paroah, the export of cats to other nations were strictly forbidden. However, eventually they did trickle out of Egypt due to ship cats getting lost in transit. By the time of Alexander and Caesar most people had cats.

Medieval man was superstitious, believing that witches and demons walked the earth doing evil deeds. The church became a central part of medieval life and in its quest for power, preached that the old ways of worship were evil.

Medieval man thought the cat had supernatural powers and any misfortune was blamed on them. Anything from sour milk to an outbreak of disease was blamed on our furry friends.

When the Bubonic Plague began sweeping across Europe in 1351 the superstitions of the day pointed the fingers of blame at cats. Hundreds of thousands of cats were destroyed. The sad truth was that the plague was carried by ticks that were attached to rodents that the cats would have caught thus helping to control the disease. The superstitions of the day actually helped the disease.

Cats were even thought to be witches in disguise, running in the darkness of night to perform evil acts. Cats were burned, boiled, stoned, flayed, stabbed, gutted, dropped from high places, hanged, impaled and buried alive with an almost religious fervor.

To own a cat during these times was risking ones life as many an old lady was accused of witchcraft simply because she kept a cat as a companion. Throughout these bleak times, however, some did remain loyal to the furry feline.

Millers and Sailors still saw great uses for the cats to rid their respective areas of vermin and others kept their fondness for cats as well. As time went on, more people of influence began to keep cats (even Cardinals Wolsey and Richelieu kept cats as pets) and the tide began to turn in the cats favor.

Finally, but the 18th century, cats were no longer persecuted and cats as companions began to make a comeback. Today, of course, cats are widely accepted as the loving companions and, while they don't typically enjoy the status they did in ancient Egypt, they are adored and cared for as loving pets.