Curious Cats and Fantastical Felines

Curious Cats and Fantastical Felines gives an intriguing insight into the historical relationship between cats and humans by exploring the folklore, myths and legends that relate to cats from around the globe.

Willow Winsham is a cat-lover, folklorist and author of a number of books on folklore subjects including the Treasury of Folklore series and The Story of Witches. She is co-founder of #FolkloreThursday, a popular website and Twitter (X) account that brings fascinating tales and traditions from all corners of the globe to its followers every Thursday. She lives with feline friends, Hector and Jayfeather. 

Introduction Part One: Sayings, Superstitions and Strange Beliefs Fateful Felines: Good and Bad Fortune: Unlucky for Some: Black Cats The Curse of the May Kitten. Puss in Boots: Constantino and his Cat Throwing a Black Cat: The Treasure of the Carbunclo Japan's Inviting Cat: Maneki Neko   Matters of Life and Death: The Nine Lives of a Cat Take Your Breath Away From Titanic to Lusitania: Cats and Shipwrecks   Rain, Rain, Go Away: Predicting the Weather Cats at Sea Why Cats Always Wash After Eating   Letting the Cat out of the Bag and other Popular Sayings Letting the Cat out of the Bag The Witch and Her Cat Cat Saints and Feline Deities: Bastet and the Sun God: Cats in Ancient Egypt Cat Gods and Goddesses:- Tezcatlipoca- Narasimha- Boxout: A Chariot Pulled by Cats: The Goddess Freya- Ceridwen and other Goddesses The Cat on the Ark and other Legends Patrons of Cats: St Jerome and other Cat Saints How the Tabby got its Markings Palita and Lomasa   Part Two: Cats of Fairytale, Lore and Legend Ferocious Felines: Feline Fashion Police: The Yule Cat Be Careful Where You Look: The Skoffin Beware the Wampus Cat Vampire Cats The Fairy Cat: Cat Sith King Arthur's Killer: The Cath Palug Ghost of the Capitol: Demon Cat Japan's Supernatural Cats: - Nekomata- The Kasha- Bakeneko The Tale of the Manx Cat- The Mystery of the Cabbit The Old Woman and the Cat Cats in Folk and Fairy Tale: The Many Tales of Cats Why Dog Chases Cat Bayun the Cat Kisa the Cat How the Pussy Willow got its Name Grinning Like a Cheshire Cat Conclusion: Celebrating Cats: Past, Present and Future The Hermitage Cats Acknowledgements Selected Further Reading Index