In the early 13th century, Pope Gregory IX launched an unusual crusade against cats. In a papal decree, he claimed that black cats were instruments of the devil, a notion rooted in superstitions and the belief that cats were linked to witchcraft. This proclamation led to widespread fear and the mass extermination of cats across Europe.
Without their natural predators, the rat population exploded, leading to a rapid spread of disease. Ironically, this campaign against cats is thought to have exacerbated the spread of the Black Plague, which devastated Europe in the mid-14th century, killing millions. Pope Gregory IX’s war on cats shows us how superstition and fear can lead to unintended and catastrophic consequences.
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