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by Brad Schreiber ~

A myth is as good as a mile. Which is why we do not worry any longer about black cats crossing our paths. But the less than enlightened folks of the Middle Ages believed that dark felines were to be associated with black magic, some even insisting they were transmogrified witches or animal-shaped demons.

In 16^th century Italy, if a black cat happened to lie across your bed, it was time to get last rites. (I wonder what the explanation was when the Italian didn’t kick the bucket. “Oh, it must have been a weak witch!”)

If we’re going to be ruled by superstition, why not make it a positive one? Black cats were never relegated to animal shelters in ancient Egypt. It might have been due to Bastet, the cat-headed Egyptian goddess of home, fertility and protection from disease. Talk about the art of multi-tasking.

As October is Black Cat Awareness Month, and Halloween is creeping up on us, here is a non-superstitious list of 13 famous black cats in popular culture:

1. Luna. The anime and manga series Sailor Moon featured a purple-black kitty with a prominent yellow crescent moon adorning its forehead. Luna reinforced the historical belief that black cats provided good fortune on sea voyages.

2. Sylvester. This Looney Tunes tuxedo animation cat was famous for salivating while Tweety Bird antagonized him, declaring with terrible diction, “I taught I taw a puddy cat.” Also appearing in comic books, you may refer to him by his full name, i.e., Sylvester James Pussycat, Senior.

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3. Felix the Cat. In 1919, Felix crowned the world of silent film, eventually appearing with an animated Charlie Chaplin in 1923. He had his own TV series and still rates at the top of the list for names of black cats. “Righty-o!”

4. Mr. Mistoffelees. A most highbrow black cat, he appeared in T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. There was nothing demonic about Mistoffelees. He was part of the worldwide touring sensation musical Cats, which has played everywhere from the West End and Broadway to the United Arab Emirates.

5. Hodge. Another Lit Kitty, Hodge really existed, the pet of English author Samuel Johnson, immortalized in the groundbreaking biography of Dr. Johnson by James Boswell. To say nothing of the statue of Hodge that sits royally in front of Johnson’s former Lichfield, England home.

6.  Blackie. For having such an unoriginal name, Blackie the cat had a superlative life. That’s because his owner, British antiques dealer Ben Rea, squabbled with his family and left his entire $12.5 million inheritance to Blackie and other animal charities. We assume Blackie got to eat anything he wanted after that.

7. Bagheera. Rudyard Kipling’s 1894 collection of stories, The Jungle Book, spawned the black panther character Bagheera a bit before the Oakland Black Panthers in 1966, the Disney animated feature in 1967 and the fictional film superhero from Wakanda. Bagheera helps Kipling’s boy Mowgli leave the jungle for civilization, being fierce but tender-hearted too.

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8. Behemoth. Russian literature gave us this awesomely named black cat, via the landmark work The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. The premise is apocalyptic, as Satan descends upon 1930s Russia. Behemoth, though, as one of his minions, seems more interested in drinking vodka rather than milk.

9. Gladstone. A real-life black cat with political ties, Gladstone has lived in His Majesty’s Treasury in the UK since 2016. He keeps an eye out for mice in the ancient building, has his own Instagram account and has even been used, though sparingly, for Treasury public relations.

10. Snowball II. Leave it to the wacky world of The Simpsons to name a black cat Snowball II. The original one was indeed as white as the driven snow but was rumored to have been run over by the mayor’s brother. Snowball V is the latest incarnation and the name, like The Simpsons itself, will apparently continue until the end of time.

11. Jiji. Studio Ghibli in 1989 turned the whole witch narrative on its head with the animated feature Kiki’s Delivery Service. The titular witch flew on a broom doing only good deeds, while black cat accomplice Jiji tossed off sarcastic quips, voiced by the late, great comedian and Saturday Night Live veteran, Phil Hartman.

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12. Salem Saberhagen. This animatronic black feline played second fiddle to Sabrina the Teenage Witch on TV. Salem, appropriately named, was a 500-year-old witch who was kittyfied for the measly reason that she had previously attempted complete and total world domination.

13. The Cat in the Hat. Lucky number thirteen is the beloved Dr. Seuss character, tuxedoed with a top hat, reborn thanks to a fuzzy-faced Mike Myers in the film of the same name.

You’ll find more

Than one black cat

On this list to adore

And that is that.

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Rescue Diva proudly helps needy animals in the U.S. and around the world, such as:

~ Diva assists Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs) in Greece to provide free spay/neuter for hundreds of animals per year, which is one of the best ways to prevent the abandonment and misery of puppies like Noah and Kyla.

~ Diva donates to Center for Animal Protection and Education (CAPE), Praying for Paws, Southern California Siamese Rescue, Aniplant (Cuba) and many other groups.

~ Diva does in-the-trenches rescues of angels like Robin, Chance, and Tiger, with help from San Diego Animal Support Foundation; of Marisol and Lisa, with help from Last Chance at Life; of Mandi (Diamandi), with help from Graeske Hunde, and of Dolly, with help from Stichting AAI.

BRAD SCHREIBER has written for all media, and served as producer, executive, director, instructor and actor. Music Is Power (Rutgers University Press), a history of sociopolitical music, received a Foreword INDIES award. Brad’s true crime recounting of the Patty Hearst-SLA case, Revolution’s End (Skyhorse), was honored by both the International Book Awards and Independent Publisher Book Awards. Becoming Jimi Hendrix (Da Capo/Perseus), an early years biography, was called “fascinating” by the New York Times and selected for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library.

Before becoming a literary consultant via www.BradSchreiber.com, Brad was Vice President of Storytech Literary Consulting, founded by Christopher Vogler (The Writer’s Journey). Journalism includes Variety, HuffPost and Backstage, honored by the National Press Foundation, Edward Albee Foundation and L.A. Press Club.