Pussies Galore! | Daily Mail Online

One thing that has always puzzled me about black cats is whether they are supposed to be lucky or the exact opposite. In Japan, a black cat crossing your path brings good fortune, whereas in Turkey it means bad luck (the only antidote is to immediately touch something black, even it is only your hair). In England, meanwhile, the jury is still out. In Cornwall, meeting a black cat on your way to get married means decades of happiness, while in nearby Somerset it suggests that you will soon be heading for divorce.

Black cat, good or bad luck? 

In this fascinating and beautifully illustrated book, folklorist Willow Winsham scoops up sayings and superstitions from around the world. In Poland, for instance, there’s a popular story that pussy willow got its name when three drowning kittens grabbed hold of a tree that was overhanging the fast-moving river. The kittens managed to haul themselves to safety and every year, to commemorate this, the willow grows tiny, soft grey buds. In Scandinavia, a bleaker version says that the kittens were trying to find shelter from the harsh winter and climbed into a willow tree. They perished, but left their tails behind to ensure they were never forgotten.

Or it could be that the connection is simply linguistic: the actual word ‘catkin’ comes from the old Dutch word for kitten, ‘katteken’.

Curious Cats and Fantastical Felines is available now from the Mail Bookshop 

Some of the stories can be tracked down to specific incidents. In January 1791 the Annual Register reported that an 18-month-old toddler from Plymouth had been found dead. The investigating coroner ruled that the child had died ‘in consequence of a cat sucking its breath’. This belief that cats are hostile to babies has been surprisingly enduring. As late as the 1980s a woman from London related how her baby had been stillborn because, while she was pregnant, a cat ‘went over me’. (As a devoted cat person, I must protest that cats adore babies and, when it comes to childcare, regard themselves as an extra pair of paws.)

Winsham explains at the start of her book that she has deliberately steered clear of stories about cats being tortured or slaughtered. In the Middle Ages there were some horrific incidents, especially when it came to cats who were suspected of consorting with ‘witches’. These lonely old women, often spinsters, aroused suspicion from their neighbours simply by doting on their moggies.

So it is nice to report that these days, cats are overwhelmingly cherished and celebrated. Every year the Winter Palace in St Petersburg organises a celebration of the 80 or so cats living in the basement. Their ancestors were originally introduced by Empress Elizabeth in the 1700s to deal with rodents. These days, though, the cats are minor celebrities, with three caretakers and their own press secretary. Every March there is a ‘Cat Day’ when thousands of tourists flock to pay court. And for those who can’t bear to leave empty handed, a more permanent arrangement is possible. All the Winter Palace cats are available for adoption.