In Focus

I learned about an interesting folktale from the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

August 17 marks the start of “Cat Nights,” a tradition rooted in an old Irish legend about witches and cats. According to this legend, a witch could change into a cat eight times, but on her ninth try, she would be stuck as a cat forever. This story is often linked to the saying that cats have nine lives.

The Cat Nights folklore may be related to legends of the Cait Sidhe in Ireland and the Cait Sith in Scotland (pronounced ‘caught shee’). These names mean “cat of the mound,” as they’re connected to ancient burial mounds believed to be the homes of fairies.

The Cait Sidhe were commonly described as large black cats with a white patch on their chests. Although they were seen as scary creatures, they were also thought to bring good luck.

Some of these tales could come from the Scottish wildcat, called the Cait Sith, or from the Kellas cat, a large black wildcat in Scotland believed to be a mix of wild and domestic cats.

In Scottish Highland folklore, it was believed that the cat-sìth could steal a person’s soul before they were buried by walking over their body. Because of this, people would watch over their dead to keep the cat away.

The cat-sìth is also mentioned in Samhain traditions. It was said that if a household left out a saucer of milk for the cat, they would receive a blessing. Those who forgot to do this might face bad luck, like cows stopping milk production.

Another simpler explanation for Cat Nights is that cats tend to be more active and noisy during August. This increase in nighttime sounds, combined with longer evenings, might have led to stories about witches and cats roaming around at night.

No matter where the legend comes from—whether it’s witches, wildcats, or simply cats being chatty in August—August 17 is still celebrated as the start of Cat Nights.