This Halloween, as you carve your pumpkins, deck your yards with cobwebs, and fill up bowls of treats for the tiny two-legged spooksters to arrive, we give you a little history on the black cat, a creature that has become one of the most iconic and misunderstood symbols of the season. We're sure you've heard all of the myths and lore surrounding black cats from past generations and other cultures. But have you ever stopped to wonder, “Where did the black cat superstition originate in the first place?”
A Brief History: Where It All Began
Black cats' Halloween history is a long and winding one. The roots of black cat superstitions stretch back to medieval Europe, where the Catholic Church began associating black cats with witchcraft and the devil around the 13th century. Pope Gregory IX even issued a papal decree declaring black cats an incarnation of Satan, which, as you can imagine, did not bode well for the cats. This set off centuries of persecution of both black cats and the women accused of keeping them as familiars. By the time the Salem Witch Trials rolled around in the 1690s, the connection between black cats and dark magic was firmly cemented in Western culture.
So when we ask, “Why are black cats bad luck?”, the honest answer is: organized fear, spread over centuries. It wasn't the cats. It never was.
Black Cat Superstition Good Luck — Yes, Really
Here's the plot twist: in many parts of the world, black cat superstition “good luck” is actually the prevailing belief, and always has been. The negative associations are largely an American and Western European phenomenon. Meanwhile:
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In England, giving a bride a black cat is believed to bring her good luck.
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In Ireland and Scotland, it's considered good luck for a black cat to cross your path.
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Fishermen and their wives coveted black cats as ultimate signs of good fortune, placing them on their ships and in their homes; they even became hard to afford because of this belief.
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In ancient Egypt, people paid homage to the cat goddess Bastet, who embodied truth and prosperity.
Black Cat Effects on Adoption Rates Today
Despite the charm and affection black cats offer in spades, the black cat effects on adoption are still very real. Black cats are adopted at less than half the rate of grey, white, and lighter-colored breeds. Shelters across the country feel this disparity most sharply in October, when some facilities pause black cat adoptions altogether out of concern for their safety.
The good news? Awareness is growing. Campaigns like "Adopt Your Little Panther," "Black is the New Black," and "Do You See Me Now" are helping shelters rewrite the narrative. And advocates like Denise Bitz, Founder and President of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, are leading the charge year-round.
"We do black cat adoptions year-round, and actually, we will probably promote the increased need to adopt black cats around Halloween," Bitz said. "I trust my staff that they can wean out the good adopters from the 'cat murderers' with pretty good certainty and hope that other shelters will do the same and not keep cats from going home based on this outdated notion."
Superstitions of black cats have had a real and measurable impact on real animals, but they don't have to. Find out about your local animal shelter's black pet adoption rates and volunteer to help, spread the word on social media, or simply open your home to a little panther of your own.
Here at Dog Tag Art, we respect and honor all living creatures and support the work of shelters, rescues, and organizations working to break stigmas and superstitions that harm our furry friends. We offer pet ID tags that let humans know a pet has a medical condition, is aggressive, or doesn't like to be petted, as well as a variety of fun tags to dress your little one up while keeping them safe. Take a look-see at our favorite black cat pet ID tag, and don't forget that you can create your very own personalized pet tag by uploading a photo of your own to our site.
~ My name is Tiffany Faith, and growing up, I can remember my mother swiping her finger across the windshield in an 'X' pattern when a black cat crossed our path while driving. I had no idea how deeply black cat folklore and legends ran, or the desperate need of our shelters to overcome the stigmas associated with pets of darker complexion. It's strange how these tales are told to us when we're young, and the pieces we internalize — from mythology to cultural references to other people's perception of color. It's up to each of us to work past these long-held superstitions for the continuation of a lineage of healthy, happy black kitties and woofers for generations to come.
