In the late 13th Century, Pope Gregory IX declared that cats were emissaries of Satan and enemies of the Catholic faithful. As superstition and fear of the devil swept through Europe over the next several centuries, so too did the hatred and mass violence towards cats.

• Decretals of Pope Gregory IX with the glossa ordinaria single leaves, MS M.716.2r - Images from Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts - The Morgan Library & Museum
• Kattenstoet: The Cat Throwing Festival | Amusing Planet
• "Did Pope Gregory IX’s Hatred of Cats Lead to the Black Death?" Medium, Jason Ward, Apr 16, 2021
• "The Spooky History of How Cats Bewitched Us," Washington Post, By Abigail Tucker Oct 31 2016
• “'Thou Shalt not suffer a Cat to Live': Why Pope Gregory IX’s Vox in Rama Implicated Cats in Devil Worship." History Collection, By Natasha sheldon - May 5, 2018
• "Did Pope Gregory IX Order A Medieval Purge of Black Cats That Caused the Black Death?" Museum Hack, By Alex Johnson, February 25, 2020
• "Why Do Black Cats Have A Reputation For Evil?" | Discover Magazine By Avery Hurt Oct 22 2022
• Konrad von Marburg | German inquisitor | Britannica
• "Was there a great Cat Massacre in the Middle Ages?" By Siobhan O'Shea, Interesly
• HISTORY OF THE CAT IN THE MIDDLE AGES (PART 2) - THE GREAT CAT

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Artwork: Brittany Schall

Music: "Danse Macabre" by Camille Saint-Saens, performed by Kevin MacLeod