Cats have played a very large role in legends and myths for centuries. Black cats especially have many urban legends surrounding their lives. Yet, the ever independent felines are found in over 50% of the homes in America (AVMA). Once revered by ancient people as a deity and loved by kings and peasants alike………..the cat has so many myth and legends surrounding its history many people in today’s world are confused about fact and fiction, concerning them.

So here is the short list of common weird myths and misconceptions about cats.

Cats never get rabies

All mammals can get rabies, so vaccinate your cats and dogs.

Cats use their whiskers to keep their balance on narrow edges and tight high places

Wrong. The whiskers on a cat act as “feelers”, in the dark and aid them in other navigation ways when the light is dim.

Using garlic on a cat’s food will get rid of worms and internal parasites

Not really. Garlic may help the digestion of a cat, but it will not expunge worms.

Cats always land on their feet when they fall, jump or are thrown

Cats are very agile and do land on their feet many times, when they jump or fall from high places, but not always. They are known to suffer broken legs ripped tendons and fractured bones when they fall from places too high or not high enough. They have the ability to twist their bodies in mid-air most times they fall from an acceptable perch or ledge.

When a cat’s pupil grows large it is a sign of rain

Sorry no truth to this one.

Cats can heal their own wounds by licking them

This is a major myth and not true. Cats need medical care if they have deep or large wounds, the licking will not heal or help the wound. In fact it may do more harm in spreading bacteria and infection and my hinder healing my not allowing a scab to form.

Cats will suck the breath from a baby.

Sorry folks, but this is not true. They have no special power or ability to suck out the breath from a baby. This is an old, old wives tale myth from the old country. Before modern medicine understood SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) cats were many times blamed for the death of an infant, because they were seen smelling a baby’s breath or cuddling next to them in their cribs. It is possible some babies could have bee smothered by a cat when they turned their head and mouth into the cat’s body, but the cat did not intentionally kill the baby.

The way to keep a cat from straying from home is to spread lots of butter on its paws

They will lick it off and keep wandering.

A cat has 9 lives. (or 6 lives, even 7 lives in some cultures)

It might appear that way to non-cat people or folks who feel cats are immortal, since they many times survive falls from devilishly high places.

Milk is good for cats and they desire it

Cats will drink cow’s milk, but it is not really good for them. Many cats are lactose intolerant and should not eat any dairy milk or cream product.

Cats never blink and will win every staring contest they engage in

Wrong! Cats blink approximately 2 times per minutes. They have a third eyelid called a “nictitating membrane”, which elevates the need to blink.

Cats can see in total darkness

Sorry another myth which is not true. They can see in a very dim or poorly lit area, because they have a “mirror like” organ in the back of their retina (tapetum lucidum) that aids their ability to see images. Cats need only about 15% of the light humans need to visualize objects or surroundings.

All black cats are evil and an omen of bad luck

Please, this one probably started many centuries ago during the inquisition, when witches and black cats seemed to be one in the same. Remember the cat was honored for many years by ancient cultures as a deity.

These are but a few of the Myths many believe and hopefully are now enlightened about. Check with your vet if you have other cat myths you would like know about!