By Jianyu Hou Freelancer based in Cleveland, OH, USA
One of the most common questions that Americans ask me is , “Do you Chinese eat dogs and cats?” Jokes about Asians eating dogs and cats are prevalent on the Internet, a stereotype that Chinese eat everything. I told them that only a few of minority ethnic groups eat dogs, most people not.
Americans consider dogs and cats as family members, so do Chinese. Chinese raise pets at home more than just for company. They believe that dogs and cats can see invisible evil spirits and drive them away from their owners. Among them, black cats seem to own stronger magic power than other kinds of pets. Chinese call black cats “home guard Feng Shui animals”, believing that they can bring fortune and peace to the family.
In western culture, black cats are evil and ominous. Sadly, in America, I’ve heard that every year during Halloween, some Americans adopt black cats just for torture and even burning them alive. As a result, many shelters hide their black cats during the entire month of October. In the rest of the year, black cats have the lowest possibility to be adopted as pets. Many westerners consider they might bring evil spirits and bad luck, since black cats frequent in so-called haunted places, such as cemeteries and deserted buildings. But Chinese explain it from a different angle–black cats go to haunted places for the purpose of driving away the unwelcome spirits.
In our culture, once we meet a black cat on the street, if it stops to let us pat its head, we will have good luck with money. Remember not to touch its tail, or you may experience an opposite effect.
People imposed the bad image on black cats, but black cats cannot use human languages to defend themselves. It’s not the black cats that bring bad luck to people, but people’s attitudes and their way of thinking.
Those who blame others for their misfortune will never have good luck, because they refuse to take the responsibility. Those who have cruel hearts to hurt other creatures will not have good luck. Karma caused by killing is considered very bad in most eastern religions like Buddhism. Abusing and killing make people more apathetic towards other living creatures, filling people’s minds with hatred and cruelty. Those negative attitudes will definitely lead to bad luck, not a fortune.
Only love can bring good luck, I believe, because it changes the relationship between us and the world in a positive way.
At last, I hope that my old black cat is safe during Halloween.
Get Real America 