Mass killings of cats 1347-1351

Between 1347 and 1351, Europe (and parts of Asia & the Middle East) were hit by one of the deadliest pandemics in history. About one-third to one-half of Europe’s population died.

Streets became quiet and empty. Shops closed, markets stopped. Many homes were abandoned.

Bodies were often collected in carts and buried in large graves because there were too many deaths for normal funerals

People avoided each other out of fear.

No one knew about bacteria or fleas yet, so people blamed

“Bad air” God’s punishment Witches or demons Animals (like cats and dogs) Foreigners or minorities (sadly leading to violence)

Doctors wore long robes and bird-shaped masks filled with herbs, believing smells could protect them.

Many people prayed constantly.

Some joined groups called flagellants who walked town to town, whipping themselves, hoping God would forgive humanity.

Others gave up completely and lived recklessly, thinking the world was ending.

Parents lost children. Children lost parents. Some people were left completely alone. Neighbours stopped helping neighbours, but there were also acts of kindness — some risked their lives to care for the sick.

Many people believed that cats — especially black cats — were connected to evil, witchcraft, or the plague itself. Because no one understood germs yet, fear and superstition ruled.

Cats were killed in large numbers. Dogs and other animals were sometimes killed, too. Black cats were especially targeted, and all other kinds of cats.

People thought these innocent animals were spreading the disease, but in reality, this backfired badly.

They didn’t have the knowlwdge the plague was spread mainly by fleas living on rats. Cats naturally hunt rats. When people killed thousands of cats, it caused the rat populations exploded Fleas spread more easily, and the plague spread faster.

So tragically, killing cats likely made the pandemic worse, not better.

Strong religious fear at the time associated cats with witches or demons. There was no understanding of bacteria or disease transmission. Panic during mass death.

People killed cats thinking they were protecting themselves — but cats were actually one of nature’s defences against the real carriers of plague.