The Black Death was one of the worst pandemics in human history. It led to one of the most self-defeating slaughters in history. Cats were rumored to be the source of the plague. In those panicky times, no more than a rumor was needed. All over Europe the house cats were slain. Cat lovers today can take consolation in the slaughter along with the ghosts of murdered cats.
They had their revenge in the form of millions of additional Europeans succumbing to a horrific death.
The killing of tens of thousands of cats during this time, encouraged primarily by the Catholic Church, caused the flea-infested rodent population in Europe to soar. Those rats most likely carried the bubonic plague, passing it on to humans through fleas that had been on the host rat, become infected, and then bitten humans.
There were no insect sprays and no protection.
Fleas and other pests were everywhere in the newly growing cities all over the continent.
It is estimated that perhaps half of the population in Europe succumbed to this horrendous death from 1348 to 1352.#6577•