• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / History / Were any cats put to death for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts?

Were any cats put to death for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts?

June 25, 2020 by Karen Hill

In America, no cats were harmed in the making of the Salem witch trials.

Perhaps the Salem town elders learned a lesson from the witch hunts of Europe, in which hundreds of thousands of cats were killed for being in league with the devil.

As a result, the devil got his due: Rats suddenly had free reign, and plagues ravaged the continent.

Although no cats were put to death, 20 people were hung, along with two of their dogs, in Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex counties of colonial Massachusetts, from February 1692 and May 1693.

According to Puritan beliefs, a woman was more likely to enlist in the Devil’s service than was a man.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?

Related Facts

  • History of Cats
  • History of Dogs
  • How Long Do Cats Live For and Does the Average Indoor Cat Live Longer Than an Outdoor Cat?
  • Why Is Massachusetts Called a Commonwealth and What Is the State Fish of Massachusetts?
  • Why Do Cats Purr To Show Affection and What Does it Mean When Cats Purr?
  • Where Did the Expression “It’s Raining Cats and Dogs” Come From and What Does the Idiom Mean?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How old is the Mafia and how did the term originate?
Next Post: What happened to the 300,000 cat mummies discovered in the Ancient Egyptian cemetery in Beni Hassan? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy