# Ritualistic Cat Sacrifice **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 21, 2001, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ritualistic-cat-sacrifice/77386 "2001-08-21T18:02:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thudfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9e8a1a/32.png) [@thudfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thudfactor)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ritualistic-cat-sacrifice/77386/1 "2001-08-21T18:02:08Z")
OK, it’s getting relatively close to October, and I’ve already seen one article – in Cat Fancy – warning people that they should keep their black cats indoors and away from nasty cultists who are going to sacrifice their animals. I’ve been doing some poking about online and found a lot of people seriously concerned about this. Strangely enough, however, I haven’t found anyone who can point to criminal reports to back this up. Does anyone have \*\*any[\b] statistics on this? Or is this pretty much a creepy urban legend story that everyone trots out during the fall to create atmosphere? I _know_ that a lot of shelters won’t let black cats be adopted in October… but can anyone provide statistical justification of these concerns? Thanks… ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ritualistic-cat-sacrifice/77386/2 "2001-08-21T18:13:50Z")
I think that the humane society won’t let you adopt a black cat around Halloween for the same reason they don’t let you adopt a bunny around Easter time or _any_ anuimals around Christmas–because it’s more likely to be a frivolous gift, rather than a family making a sober commitment to the care of an animal. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ritualistic-cat-sacrifice/77386/3 "2001-08-21T18:17:34Z")
It’s my guess that Satanic cultists are not the problem, but drunken cruel idiots. ---
**Author:** ![thudfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9e8a1a/32.png) [@thudfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thudfactor)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ritualistic-cat-sacrifice/77386/4 "2001-08-21T18:23:11Z")
Well, that would be a more reasonable assumption… but I have found plenty of articles where humane society members are quoted saying that they don’t release black cats specifically because they are afraid of cultists. Here’s a live example: [http://www.kcncnews4.com/now/story/0,1597,53445-326,00.shtml](http://www.kcncnews4.com/now/story/0,1597,53445-326,00.shtml) And this URL quotes several other news articles. [http://www.witchvox.com/holidays/samhain/1031\_blackcats.html](http://www.witchvox.com/holidays/samhain/1031_blackcats.html) ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ritualistic-cat-sacrifice/77386/5 "2001-08-21T18:26:02Z")
Here is what you’re looking for, which is actual people saying, “Yes, this does happen.” [http://orion.csuchico.edu/Pages/vol39issue09/d.blackcats.html](http://orion.csuchico.edu/Pages/vol39issue09/d.blackcats.html) > [@](#): > > San Francisco Animal Care Control, known for its proactive attitude toward animals, does not adopt black cats two days prior or two days after Halloween, according to Corporal Michael Scott, City and County Animal Control Officer. Scott said that while there were no problems last Halloween, there have been some “oddly killed cats” found after Halloween in previous years. [http://www.capitaljournal.com/stories/110198/new\_catssaved.shtml](http://www.capitaljournal.com/stories/110198/new_catssaved.shtml) > [@](#): > > During the Halloween period, black cats disappear," Virginia Beach police officer Don Rimer said. > > “We’ve had a number of problems with black cats missing from several neighborhoods, and later, their remains would be found,” he said. [http://www.star-telegram.com/news/doc/1047/1:METRO49/1:METRO49102899.html](http://www.star-telegram.com/news/doc/1047/1:METRO49/1:METRO49102899.html) > [@](#): > > Tammy Hawley, a supervisor at the Tarrant County Humane Society, said that as Halloween nears, there is a rise in incidents where animals disappear or are found injured or mutilated. > > She said white and black cats, which are symbols of good and evil, are among the more common targets. > > “The day after Halloween last year we had four people report solid white or black cats disappear,” she said. And this one took place in June, but still… [http://www.caller.com/2001/june/22/blotter.html](http://www.caller.com/2001/june/22/blotter.html) > [@](#): > > CADDO STREET: A 49-year-old man told police that his 39-year-old neighbor threatened to beat him and to sacrifice the older man’s black cat. The 49-year-old said the 39-year-old man claims to be a witch. ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ritualistic-cat-sacrifice/77386/6 "2001-08-21T18:32:51Z")
Hmm … this raises an interesting question. IIRC, the Supreme Court ruled that animal sacrifice in the name of religion is acceptable. (at least for the Santerias) Let’s say that I belong to a pagan cult that sacrifices black cats at Halloween and rabbits at Easter. If a government-run animal shelter refuses to allow me to purchase these animals for sacrifice, are they violating my Consitiutional rights? (Obviously, private humane societies are free to give animals to whomever they please.) I’ll have to look into the details a little bit, but it is an interesting idea. ---
**Author:** ![thudfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9e8a1a/32.png) [@thudfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thudfactor)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ritualistic-cat-sacrifice/77386/7 "2001-08-21T18:46:23Z")
Thanks for the references; I can include those. What bothers me about them is that they all say “we had a few of these” or “incidents increase during halloween” – but none of them say things I’d expect a crime story to say. Things like “there was a 50% decline in black cat sacrifice,” or “Spooky is the sixth cat killed in the recent cult activity.” I mean, yeah – there are real people saying it really happens. But these real people, when pressed, can’t seem to offer actual accounts. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ritualistic-cat-sacrifice/77386/8 "2001-08-21T18:50:33Z")
:Let’s say that I belong to a pagan cult that sacrifices black cats at Halloween and rabbits at Easter." —Hey, if you fed the remains to homeless people, President Bush will give you MONEY to do it! ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ritualistic-cat-sacrifice/77386/9 "2001-08-21T19:07:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by evilhanz \* > \*\*Hmm … this raises an interesting question. IIRC, the Supreme Court ruled that animal sacrifice in the name of religion is acceptable. (at least for the Santerias) > > Let’s say that I belong to a pagan cult that sacrifices black cats at Halloween and rabbits at Easter. If a government-run animal shelter refuses to allow me to purchase these animals for sacrifice, are they violating my Consitiutional rights? \*\* I can’t speak for every state, but I’d have to say that since shelters are adopting (not selling) cats to be household pets, someone who comes in and states that they want a cat to use in a religious sacrifice is SOL. Also, shelters are free to refuse anyone who cannot meet the adoption requirements - age, living situation, number of other pets in the house, history of abandonment or “pet turnover,” etc. Shelters are not meant to be a place where you can get a pet on demand for any purpose you wish. So, I don’t think there would be any violation of Constitutional rights. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ritualistic-cat-sacrifice/77386/10 "2001-08-21T19:21:18Z")
In fact, I don’t recall owning a pet to be a constitutional right. ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ritualistic-cat-sacrifice/77386/11 "2001-08-21T20:02:48Z")
No, of course there isn’t a Constitutional right to own a pet. I wasn’t suggesting that at all. Let me attempt to rephrase the question in a more meaningful way. If a state-run shelter refused to permit the adoption of a pet based on someone’s religious practices, would that be discriminatory? Would they even be legally permitted to inquire whether the animal was going to a home where animal sacrifices were performed? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ritualistic-cat-sacrifice/77386/12 "2001-08-21T21:10:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by thudfactor \* > \*\*Thanks for the references; I can include those. What bothers me about them is that they all say “we had a few of these” or “incidents increase during halloween” – but none of them say things I’d expect a crime story to say. Things like “there was a 50% decline in black cat sacrifice,” or “Spooky is the sixth cat killed in the recent cult activity.” > > I mean, yeah – there are real people saying it really happens. But these real people, when pressed, can’t seem to offer actual accounts. \*\* Unfortunately, we’ve had several cat mutilations/torture deaths around here…and it’s NOT necessarily around Halloween. This is stuff that I’ve read in the paper. I used to have two indoor/outdoor cats, both black, and I kept both of them strictly indoors during any holiday, not because I was afraid that someone would hurt them on purpose, but because there are a lot of people and activities going on around holidays. I especially kept my cats inside during the Fourth of July/Independence day, because we have a lot of folks around here who WILL set off fireworks, without regard to legality. The cat we’ve got now (gray tabby and white) is a strictly inside kitty, so that’s not as much of a worry to me any longer. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ritualistic-cat-sacrifice/77386/13 "2001-08-21T21:12:55Z")
I do cat rescue and I’ve seen lots of shelter applications; none of them have a question about what religion the potential adopter is. But the shelter is free to ask whatever questions they want about the potential home atmosphere, so I suppose it could include among all the other mundane questions one about whether the adopter plans to harm or kill this animal for any purpose whatsoever, or if the adopter regularly engages in any activity in the home that is likely to cause serious or mortal injury or death to the animal. Naturally, people might lie about any or all of the answers.