Today is August 17, and the beginning of Cat Nights. Back in July we discussed the “dog days of summer.” In August, the Dog Star Sirius is no longer visible in the predawn sky, bringing an end to the Dog Days of Summer. So I guess that it’s appropriate that if dogs have their days, cats should have their nights.
Probably not a lot of people are familiar with “Cat Nights,” but it’s pretty old, going back to when most people believed in witches.
A somewhat obscure old Irish legend said that a witch could turn herself into a cat eight times, but on the ninth time she couldn’t regain her human form. This legend is the origin of the phrase “a cat has nine lives.”
But what does the legend have to do with Cat Nights? Well — summer nights in August are getting longer and cooler. We notice the seasonal change, but animals are much more sensitive than we are to those changes. You’ve probably noticed animals are a little more lively this time of year. Cats, in particular, are more active at dusk and dawn. Cats see eight times better in the dark than we can. They can see colors and their eyes are much more sensitive to movements than our eyes. And cats are, by nature, nocturnal hunters — so their superior night vision means the nights belong to them.
So this time of year it’s nice to sit outside, or take a walk in the evening, but if you see a cat, be sure it is a cat and not a witch lurking about…..
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