In honor of National Cat Day on October 29, 2021, we thought we'd feature black cats and their history in popular media. It's one of our final Halloween posts of the year too. Our family has had the joy of 3 black kitties as family members. Raven, Thursday, and Binx Graham.
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Raven Graham
Thursday Graham
Binx Graham
We volunteered at Furkids Animal Shelter for 11 years. It's the largest cat shelter in the southeast. Black cats remain the least adoptable ones since superstitions still abound about them. Ours have all been wonderful with different personalities and we don't regret a day we've had them. So, to promote a love of black cats we thought we'd share a blog post from KittyNook.com. KittyNook is a cool online shop for cats and they have a blog and newsletter too. So, without further ado, let's talk about these cats in film, history, and culture.
Written by Jean at KittyNook on October 12, 2021
Black cats evoke a strong reaction in us humans. Culturally, black felines in art, movies, internet memes, and much more. Some see black cats as foreshadowing misfortune, and others consider them to be bringers of good luck. Whatever the cultural relevance, black cats have crept up in culture in different ways. Black cats have artistic charm, whether it is a newsworthy feline, a literary character, a comic hero, and so on.
This is why we list famous black felines in history, movies, and culture on today's blog. Here you will see some instantly identifiable and others that may be more popular in the past than they are today. Either way, they could remind you of the unique black feline in your life and be an excellent suggestion for black cat names!
Felix the Cat
While Felix has a white mouth, he is considered a black cat. and is one of history's most renowned animation cats. In 2019, we celebrated Felix's 100th year, so younger readers may not know him right away. At the beginning of the silent movie era, Felix the Cat helped pioneer computer animation and generally enhanced the art of animated film. His short movies were simplistic at the start but quickly grew to encompass more personality, more intricate computer animation, and to create richer plots. He even shared a show with an animation of Charlie Chaplin back in 1923, bringing one of the most popular black cats together with the most famous actor. Felix is still one of the most used names for black cats today.
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Behemoth from The Master and Margarita
This shape-shifting giant black feline is a character from Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov's literary work of art. The Master and Margarita. In the novel, Satan descended upon early 1930's Russia and damaged its society. While Behemoth is a member of the devil's entourage, he is a funny character criticized by his gang. He thinks about drinking vodka as well as creating mayhem every time. Behemoth can transform into a human but spends most of the novel as a massive black cat. He is central to the story and is usually the cover picture for worldwide editions.
Salem Saberhagen
This famous black cat is part of the show Sabrina the Teenage Witch. He was initially an orange cat in the comics. Nonetheless, the world might know him better from the real-time action series in the 1990s early 2000s. While he is considered a famous black cat, he was initially a human condemned to live as a black cat for 100 years without the capacity to perform magic. While this sounds like a horrible thing, it mainly played for laughs in the television series.
Sabrina's chatting sidekick was constantly giving amusing one-liners. Still, many remember him his insatiable hunger and fantastic singing voice, which lots of feline owners might notice in their moggies!
Mister Mistoffelees
Mister Mistoffelees is a black feline who initially showed up in T.S. Eliot's book titled Old Possums Book of Practical Cats. In the book of wayward rhymes, Mister Mistoffelees is proficient at sleight of hand magic but is not sinister. This publication of poems was the source product for the hit West End and Broadway musical of Cats, where Mister Mistoffelees shows up.
Snowball II
A more modern black feline younger viewers might be acquainted with this black cat on our list. The Simpsons author came up with the domestic black cat Snowball II, a black feline with an unsuitable name. This is since the original Snowball was a white cat thought to be run over by the brother of the town's mayor. While not essential to the stories of numerous Simpsons episodes, Snowball II shows up regularly and is identifiable as a cartoon cat feline.
Binx from Hocus Pocus
Although a human boy at the film's beginning, Thackery Binx was soon transformed into an immortal black feline by the flick's witchy characters. Despite his household not acknowledging him, he still safeguarded their house every Halloween evening, hissing at possible spooky intruders. Do you have your black cat bodyguard too?
Figaro from Pinocchio
First looking like Mr. Geppetto's cheeky dog in Pinocchio, Figaro went on to star in many other Disney short movies on the insistence of Walt Disney himself. Walt loved the little kitten a lot; he almost made him Minnie Mouse's pet moggy. If owning a black feline is good enough for Minnie, it is good enough for us!
Oscar the Bionic Cat
The first real cat on our list, Oscar, is not 100% natural.
Because of a mishap in 2009, Oscar's back two legs were cut off. Luckily, the veterinarian who saw Oscar referred him to a veterinary surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick, who used a pioneering surgery. This technique allowed Oscar to get blades on his back legs, similar to prosthetics used by athletes in the Olympics. When his ankle joint was broken, Oscar needed to lose the blades. However, he had replacement ‘feet' offered to him which kept him mobile.
Blackie the Millionaire Cat
Possibly the most well-known cat on our list with the most underwhelming name. Blackie was a cat who had been bestowed $12.5 million bucks in an inheritance when his very wealthy owner passed away. The British antiquarian Ben Rea had a falling out with his family and refused to give them anything of his will. Rea ended up leaving his fortune to his pet cat, which was to be distributed to animal charities, and continued the top-notch life of his cat.
Isis from Star Trek
There were many black cat celebrities in Celebrity Trek, and they are shapeshifters. The single colored moggy called Isis can interact telepathically when in her feline kind. At the same time, the cat in episode “Catspaw” switched over between being a female called Sylvia and a mysterious feline that Spock took an interest in. Obviously, in the real world, shape-shifting cats are making their talents known through cardboard boxes.
Luna from Sailor Moon
Because of the animation in Sailor Moon, Luna's color can appear more purple rather than black. Nevertheless, we can assure you she was intended to be a black feline, and her participation in the series is one that followers cherish. This famous black cat in society is not seen as ominous or foreshadowing bad luck. Instead, Luna counsels the characters in the story and is regarded for her knowledge and understanding.
To commemorate the stunning black cat, black cat owners should celebrate National Black Cat Day on October 27th every year.
What a great list from KittyNook.com. Gives a new appreciation for these special kitties. We hope you enjoyed it, and if you'd like to check out their products we reviewed, we published the post Smart Cat Laser Toy is Awesome.
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