Cat People: the feline answer to the werewolf genre
In the various cinematic monster universes, cats are a bit of a footnote, barely scratching their way onto the list. Werewolves, vampire bats, mummies, dinosaurs and various sorts of ghosts get all the love, going way back into the silent era. Cats didn’t saunter onto…
Japan’s supernatural cats: watch out for the evil bakeneko
The land of Hello Kitty is home to a bevy of cats that can transform into human shape. Do you know about Japan’s supernatural cats? Everyone is aware of werewolves and vampire bats, but evil supernatural cats seem rare. Except in Japan. That island nation has two…
Iceland’s Yule Cat pounces on people who lack a new scarf
The legend of a cat who enforces the winter dress code has leapt beyond Iceland’s borders. A lot of people are now familiar with Krampus, a goat-like demon that comes around during the holiday season to punish bad children in Central Europe. But in Iceland, the Yule…
Black cats for great luck? Some people think so.
Black cats have an undeserved bad reputation and have the hardest time of any color of cat in getting adopted from shelters. Yet almost two dozen cat breeds come in an all-black variety, with the Bombay cat coming only in black, so it seems some…
Bastet, the Egyptian cat goddess in a dancing dress.
Cats are little gods and goddesses, and humans are lucky to be allowed to live with them — regardless of the fact that cats are quite remiss in making house payments. While others had already used lions as divine symbols, the Egyptians were the first…
