emmadilemma quoted In Defense of Witches by Mona Chollet
In the span of 320 pages, Mona Chollet takes readers on a historical journey that …
… in 1484, Pope Innocent VIII ordered that all cats seen in the company of women be considered their familiars; these witches were to be burned along with their animals. The cats' extermination contributed to the growth of the rat population, so aggravating subsequent outbreaks of disease — which were blamed on witches…
— In Defense of Witches by Mona Chollet, Sophie R. Lewis (15%)
also learned: 'cat lady' in french is 'une fille à chat' — a cat girl