Nearly a third of all U.S. households – 42.2 million – has a cat. Yet despite their prevalence, pet felines are the focus of persistent myths.
As a team of Brazillian scientists noted in a paper published earlier this month to the journal pets, misperceptions have followed cats for thousands of years.
"Such perceptions often influence the way these animals are treated and perceived even today. For example, in the Middle Ages, they were associated with superstitions and mystical beliefs in several cultures, being seen as malevolent demons, diabolical beings and treacherous companions of witches and occultists."
While these more supernatural myths have waned over the centuries, modern varieties have sprung up in their place. The researchers detailed and debunked a selection of them:
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