Cat Angel or Cat Devil?

DEVILS 1-10

Silver Tabby Black and White Cat Brown Tabby Red Tabby Calico Cornish Rex Tort/White Cornish Rex Persian White Persian Red Ragdoll

Cat lovers really adore their cats and sometimes refer to them as their little cat angel. Indeed, cats are loving companions and many people can't imagine life without them.

Many of us that live with cats feel that our feline friends are a family member. It is a natural extension of those feelings to become very grief-stricken when we are faced with the death of our precious kitties.

Those who believe that there is life after death want to believe that this afterlife exists for cats also. That, in part, has led to the fascination with cats depicted as angels.

Cat angel figurines have long been popular and are a part of most cat figurine collections. There is a legend that at the same time Jesus was born, kittens were also born to a cat in the stable.




5. Calico
Angel or Devil

As the story goes, one night the baby Jesus was crying and no one could seem to stop his crying. However, when one of the kittens climbed into the manger with him, the kitten's purring comforted the baby. The letter "M", seen on the foreheads of tabby cats, is said to represent the Madonna because Mary blessed the mother cat.

Other beliefs about the origin of the "M" have been handed down. One is that the Prophet Mohammed's tabby cat was sleeping on the sleeve of his robe when he answered the call to prayer. He was so respectful of the cat, who had once alerted Mohammed of impending danger, that he cut off his sleeve so he wouldn't disturb the cat. Therefore, the letter "M" on the cat's forehead was said to have been there in remembrance of Mohammed's blessing.

The Egyptians believed the 'M' to depict the sacred Scarab beetle.

Other versions in Christian folklore include Mary blessing a cat because it killed a venomous snake sent by the Devil to bite the baby Jesus. Another tells that baby Jesus was cold and crying and the mother cat warmed him by lying next to him. Mary, in gratitude, marked the cat's forehead while petting it. Stories such as these that have been passed down many generations have contributed to the propagation of the image of the Cat Angel.

On the other hand, during the era of persecution of witches, cats also were persecuted because they were considered to be witches' familiars.

The term familiars refers to demons sent by the devil to help witches do their work. These familiars would take the form of the witch's pet to avoid detection. Not only was it said that cats were invented by the devil, but also that the devil himself would even appear as a cat.

ANGELS 11-20

Maine Coon Silver Tabby Maine Coon Brown Tabby Siamese Oriental Short-hair Whitet Scottish Fold Brown Tabby Scottish Fold Tort/White Manx Black and White Manx Red Japanese Bobtail Tort/White Black Cat

DEVILS 11-20

Maine Coon Silver Tabby Maine Coon Brown Tabby Siamese Oriental Short-hair Whitet Scottish Fold Brown Tabby Scottish Fold Tort/White Manx Black and White Manx Red Japanese Bobtail Tort/White Black Cat

In the 1300s, knights became the focus of persecution. Many of them actually admitted that they worshipped the devil, who was said to appear as a black cat. The devil appeared as a black cat.

The mere act of owning a cat was seen as confirmation that the owner was a witch.

The last witch trial in England was in the eighteenth century and the woman that was accused of being a witch was found guilty simply because she had talked to a cat which was said to really be the devil. Not only were these women persecuted, but so were the cats. Thousands of cats were tortured and killed.

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