Why Is A Black Cat Bad Luck?

Black cats have played a major role for centuries in folklore, superstition, and mythology.

Black cats in the middle ages were believed to be witches' familiars, and some people even believed them to be witches incarnate. Many of these old superstitions about black cats exist to this day.

A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed.

The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats.[1] The Bombay breed is exclusively black. All-black fur pigmentation is slightly more prevalent in male cats than female cats. Their high melanin pigment content causes most black cats to have yellow (golden) eyes (irises).

But in reality, black cats are not black

Any cat whose fur is a single color, including black, is known as a "solid" or "self". A "solid black" cat may be coal black, grayish black, or brownish black. But in reality, black cats are not black. Their fur appears to be black in specific lighting, they are actually dark blue. Most solid-colored cats result from a recessive gene that suppresses the tabby pattern. Sometimes the tabby pattern is not completely suppressed; faint markings may appear in certain lights, even on a solid black cat. A cat having black fur with white roots is known as a "black smoke."

Black cats can also "rust" in sunlight, the coat turning a lighter brownish shade.

Black cats pose an enigma to people who have never been up close and personal with one.

People who share their homes with one or more black cats love them beyond measure. Others who may or may not have crossed paths with a black cat sometimes fear them to the point of irrationality.

The Bombay Cat is the Only Recognized Black Cat Breed

While many recognized breeds have been around for years, or are the result of naturally occurring genetic mutations, the Bombay is a result of years of selective breeding in an effort to develop a black "Parlour Panther." It is the only recognized cat breed whose only acceptable color is black.

Black Cats weren’t always considered bad luck.

In early Egyptian times, dating back as far as 3000 BC, the domesticated cat became a symbol of grace and poise and was praised for its ability to kill cobras and other vermin.

In the tarot

the black cat is found on the Rider Waite deck lying below the Queen of Wands. The cat at her feet is represented here as a domesticated instinctual energy. It shows the energy of playfulness that is anchored closely to the consciousness mind.

In Egypt, the cats had a place of reverence in both their homes and temples of worship.

In Egypt there had been found a cemetery, that contained thousands of mummies of black cats therefore they were also treated a royalty. The Egyptians saw the cat as a nocturnal creature that walked the shadows in great confidence with the fine ability to feel and sense the surroundings in the dark of night. Therefore would be seen as an animal of the afterlife.

In Egypt, killing a cat was considered a capital crime.

The goddess Mafdet, the deification of justice and execution, was a lion-headed goddess. The cat goddess Bast was the deity representing protection, fertility, and motherhood. Some cats were so honored that they received the same mummification after death as their humans.

It wasn’t until the Middle-Ages

when the European church began accusing people of witchcraft that cats began to fall out of favor in folklore and tradition. Cats especially black ones - were accused of being witch's familiars.

In the 1500s, there arose the belief that witches could shape-shift

themselves into the form of Black Cats so they could roam freely about the country wrecking havoc and spying on people. The belief that witch's could turn themselves into Black Cats crossed the Atlantic with the first American settlers and was a firmly-held superstition in New England by the time of the Salem witch hunts.

Even today....

the association of black cats and witches holds strong during Halloween celebrations, despite the holiday's religious beginnings. Thus, an animal once looked on with approbation became a symbol of evil omens in some parts of the World.

Not all cultures believe Black Cats are bad luck.

In Japan, this superstition is flipped on its head; they believe a black cat is good luck and if owned by a single woman is supposed to bring her many suitors. In the English Midlands, a black cat given as a wedding present is thought to bring good luck to the bride. In Scotland, people now believe that a black cat's arrival to the home signifies prosperity.

If a Black Cat crosses your path....

In Germany, the direction a cat takes when crossing your path determines if it represents good luck or bad. If the black cat crosses from crosses from right to left it means bad luck, while a black cat that moves from left to right signals good things ahead.

The supernatural powers ascribed to black cats were sometimes viewed positively

for example sailors considering a "ship's cat" would want a black one because it would bring good luck. Sometimes, fishermen's wives would keep black cats at home too, in the hope that they would be able to use their influence to protect their husbands at sea.

Black cats have been found to have lower odds of adoption in American shelters#16

compared to other colors except brown, although black animals in general take more time to find homes. Some shelters also suspend or limit adoptions of black cats around Halloween for fear they will be tortured, or used as "living decorations" for the holiday and then abandoned

In the early days of television in the United States

many stations located on VHF channel 13 used a black cat as a mascot in order to make sport of being located on an "unlucky" channel number.

Remember Felix the cat?

Not only was Felix one of the first universally appealing cartoon characters, he also was a well-loved black cat. Felix was not a harbinger of bad luck as many believe black cats are but an adored cat known for working his way out of tight spots.

Black Cats are Anything But Unlucky