Mysterious Cats

For thousands of years, cats have been among our best animal friends. But even now, they remain a mystery and suitable fare for Halloween legends and superstitions. Nearly every culture in the world has myths about cats, and because they have so many amazing abilities, they often seem supernatural to us. They can see in almost total darkness. They can jump long distances in relation to their body size.“Human beings, even with a pole vault, cannot jump as far as a cat,” according to folklorist Gerald Hausman. Along with his wife Loretta, Hausman has written many books on animals, including “Cats of Myth: Tales From Around the World” and “The Mythology of Cats: Feline Legend and Lore Through the Ages.”Cats can survive falls from heights that would kill other animals. In fact, they have an “internal gyroscope,” says Hausman. That enables cats to right themselves in mid-air so they land on their feet. The saying “to land on one’s feet,” meaning to come to a good end, comes from this ability.