It is Friday the 13th and superstitions abound. Many people believe that today is unlucky. Some folks even have a strong fear of Friday the 13th this is called paraskavedekatriaphobia or some times friggatriskaidekaphobia, while the fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia. For some people these fears are all too real, while for some of us it is just harmless superstitions.

But with all this superstitious nonsense running around it is important as cat lovers to keep your black cats (another source of fear and loathing to the highly superstitious person) safely indoors on Friday the Thirteenth. When people feel strongly that something is unlucky, like Friday the 13th or a black cat, they fear it. If that fear is strong enough, who knows what can happen.

No one knows for sure where these fears originated but they have been around for a very long time. For instance many hospitals do not have a room number 13 and most hotels do not have a thirteenth floor. Our 32nd President, Franklin Roosevelt refused to travel on the 13th of any month. Other famous triskaidekaphobics were Napoleon and Herbert Hoover.