Bad Omens? Not Here — The Story of Jack and King

It’s October, and that means we’re thinking about witches, goblins, ghosts, and ghouls. Another popular symbol that comes to mind during this time of year is the black cat. Black cats have been surrounded by harmful superstitions for centuries. These beliefs can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when folklore associated black cats with death, misfortune, witches, and other supernatural beings. One of the most common superstitions is that if a black cat crosses your path, it means bad luck.

Unfortunately, these tales and misconceptions can affect black cats’ chances of being adopted. Black cats are often reported to spend longer in shelters than cats of other colors, and concerns have also been raised about their risk of euthanasia. Every cat deserves a chance to find a loving home, regardless of the color of its fur.

It’s a shame that these beautiful cats have such a horrible reputation. I have had two black cats throughout my life, and I have yet to experience any bad luck with either of them. The only things I have experienced are constant love and funny moments of them acting adorable.

My husband and I first adopted two cats from an amazing cat sanctuary that specializes in special-needs cats called Tabby’s Place. The two cats we adopted were Jack (whose name was Jake before we adopted him) and his brother, King (whose name was JJ before we adopted him). Both cats were rescued from a hoarding situation.

Adopting these two cats was one of the greatest things I have ever experienced in my life. Even though both cats are FIV-positive and my baby boy Jack has microphthalmia, a condition that causes one of his eyes to be smaller than a typical cat’s eye, they never let anything hold them back. I loved coming home to see my boys cuddling on the couch, fast asleep beside one another. I also loved hearing them zooming around the apartment at 2:30 am, their little paws thudding against the hardwood floor. Who would have thought that having two amazing cats could make our little family feel so complete?

Unfortunately, we lost King in 2022, and we knew that the loss hit Jack the hardest. Not only had he lost his brother, but he had also lost his best friend in the whole world. King was probably the only cat who made Jack feel safe when they were living in the hoarding household.

After losing King, my husband and I continued to adopt cats from that amazing sanctuary. We adopted Archie, an orange-and-white cat with one eye and no teeth. Unfortunately, he passed away just a few months after we adopted him due to gum cancer. A few years later, we adopted a tuxedo kitten from Tabby’s Place and named her Stella.

With the heartbreak of losing King and Archie and the joy of adopting Stella, our baby boy Jack has been through it all. He continues to demand shoulder rides and enjoys lounging outside in the sun. And when I see Jack asleep or strutting around the house like he owns the place, I never think of him as a bad omen, but rather as a sweet little soul who deserves just as much love, happiness, safety, and comfort as any other animal.

To me, Jack and King are not symbols of bad luck or superstition. They are simply Jack and King, two sweet cats who should be loved, just like all the other black cats in the world.

Check out these books from the Mercer County Library System that feature our favorite felines!

The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

A life-affirming anthem to kindness and self-sacrifice, The Travelling Cat Chronicles shows how the smallest things can provide the greatest joy. We take journeys to explore exotic new places and to return to the comforts of home, to visit old acquaintances and to make new friends. But the most important journey is the one that shows us how to follow our hearts... An instant international bestseller, The Travelling Cat Chronicles has charmed readers around the world. With simple yet descriptive prose, this novel gives voice to Nana the cat and his owner, Satoru, as they take to the road on a journey with no other purpose than to visit three of Satoru's longtime friends. Or so Nana is led to believe... With his crooked tail--a sign of good fortune--and adventurous spirit, Nana is the perfect companion for the man who took him in as a stray. And as they travel in a silver van across Japan, with its ever-changing scenery and seasons, they will learn the true meaning of courage and gratitude, of loyalty and love.

The Black Cat Detectives by Kit Gray

The detectives are three kittens with magical powers, determined to solve a most purr-plexing case. Precocious kittens Bippity, Boppity, and Boop are exceedingly loyal to their human, the twenty-eight-year-old up-and-coming magician Mila. She saved them from starving to death in a dingy Corvin's Crossing alleyway and has been nothing but loving ever since, even though her own life is in shambles. So when Mila's sketchy boyfriend and business manager turns up dead at the end of her big magic show--she's the prime suspect. With evidence mounting, there's nothing stopping the sheriff from hauling away Mila to the human pound. Unless the kittens can solve the crime and clear her name. The kittens will have to use their dubious control over the laws of physics and every whisker of know-how they've got to catch the real killer if they want to save their happy home with Mila. This is one meow-stery more tangled than any ball of yarn they've encountered yet.

Go Hex Yourself by Jessica Clare 

It's one hex of an attraction in this romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Jessica Clare. When Reggie Johnson answers a job ad in the paper, she's astonished to find that she's not applying for work at her favorite card game, Spellcraft: The Magicking. Instead, she's applying to be an actual familiar for an actual witch. As in, real magic. The new job has a few perks - great room and board, excellent pay, and she's apprenticing to a powerful witch. Sure, the witch is a bit eccentric. And sure, there was that issue with the black cat Reggie would prefer to forget about. The biggest problem, however, is warlock Ben Magnus, her employer's nephew and the most arrogant, insufferable, maddening man to ever cast a spell. Reggie absolutely hates him. He's handsome, but he's also bossy and irritating and orders her around. Ben's butt might look great in a crystal ball vision, but that's as far as it goes. But when someone with a vendetta targets the household, she finds herself working with Ben to break a deadly curse. Apparently, when they're not fighting like cats and dogs, things get downright...bewitching

The Book of Superstitions: Black Cats, Yellow Flowers, Broken Mirrors, Cracked Sidewalks, and More Cultural Behaviors & Myths Explained by Shelby El Otmani 

Friday the 13th; rabbit feet; knocking on wood; walking under a ladder; the curse of the evil eye. We all have a superstition or two. Unveil the origins of some of the most universal and little known superstitions that have influenced cultures around the world for centuries. Including beliefs that gained a foothold in African and European folklore, notions from ancient Greece, legends of the British Isles, and beyond, this is a captivating read for people of all ages and backgrounds

Black Cat, White Cat by Silvia Borando 

 A black cat who only ever goes out during the day and a white cat who only goes out at night meet in the middle and start a beautiful relationship together.

Meeow and the Big Box by Sebastein Braun 

Meeow, a black cat, plays with a big box.

A Dark, Dark Tale: Story and Pictures by Ruth Brown 

Journeying through a dark, dark house, a black cat surprises the only inhabitant of the abandoned residence.

 My Friend May by Julie Flett

A little girl named Margaux has a big black cat named May. One day, May doesn't come home for dinner and, although the family looks and looks, they can't find her. Margaux's auntie helps in the search, but she can't stay long because she is packing to move to the city. Margaux will miss her auntie. She also misses May. Will May ever come home?

 

Lara the Black Cat Fairy by Daisy Meadows

Rachel and Kirsty are going to an outdoor adventure camp, but Jack Frost has stolen the seven magical animals from their fairies and they must rush to help Lara the Black Cat Fairy save her black cat, Lucky, from the goblins after her lucky escape.

-Rebecca, Hollowbrook Branch