The Cats of Ulthar is a gothic horror short story written by H. P. Lovecraft. Although I was aware of the writer as a literature student, I never explored his works. I thought this short story would be a good introduction to the writer, and I was right.
The Cats of Ulthar is set in the fictional town of Ulthar where killing cats is prohibited by law. The story narrates the incidents leading up to the establishment of the law. An old farmer couple living in an isolated and shabby cottage is feared by the other townspeople. It is like an open secret that the couple tortures and kills any cats that might run through their property. People hear sounds, but no one says anything to them. The people with pets make sure that the cats do not go near that property, even by mistake.
One day, a community from the south passes through the town with caravans. There is an orphan young boy amongst them, who has no one but a black kitten for company. For the boy, the kitten is like family. It is hinted, that his family perished during the plague. The kitten ends up at the old couple’s cottage and is killed by them. The boy and others pray to Gods in a language not understood by the townspeople. The whole atmosphere changes and the clouds take different forms in the sky. Then, the next day, the entire community packs up their caravans and leaves and is never seen in Ulthar again. The cats of the town go missing, and people are worried if the old couple are responsible and finally decide to do something. The cats safely return in a couple of days as if nothing happened.
The cats are symbolized ambiguously in the story. It talks about the mystical and sacred nature of cats since ancient times and then depicts them as dangerous creatures. There is a supernatural element introduced here, through the praying and clouds taking various weird shapes. This occurrence was dismissed by the people of Ulthar. I loved how the mythology surrounding cats was included in the descriptions; it added to the supernatural mysticism about them.
When I chose this story, I wasn’t aware of its gothic nature. The atmosphere descriptions and the tensions start rising as the story progresses. It is a proper horror gothic tale. The way it is written and described heightens the tension, especially at the climax. The ending was classic gothic in a way that I liked a lot. It gets eerie and creepy unexpectedly, which adds intrigue to the story.
The Cats of Ulthar is an interesting and engaging gothic horror short story. I enjoyed the writing of H. P. Lovecraft enough for me to explore his other works in the future. H. P. Lovecraft creates an eerie yet vague atmosphere throughout the story with descriptions. The ending is what surprised me, especially the way it’s written. I enjoyed reading this gothic horror story about cats.
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