Halloween is in the air! That means all things spooky are out and about! Pumpkins, ghosts, scary movies, and our guest of honor in today’s post…black cats!

Why are black cats a symbol of Halloween? And how did they become a symbol of bad luck?

True, black cats fit in nicely with the holiday. Their black fur coats and vibrant eyes do make them look rather mysterious and mischievous! Since the Middle Ages, black cats have been part of an old superstition. The superstition is that these spooky felines are bad luck. Many people still believe today that if a black cat crosses the street in front of them-watch out! Bad luck is on its way!

How did this superstition start?

Well, during the Middle ages, old English folklore taught that witches turned into black cats. The ancient Druids believed these former witches would then spy on people and create mischief! Oooh!!!  Sounds spooky to me!

However, the superstition can also be traced back to Celtic and Greek mythology starting with the Greek Gods Zeus and Hera. Despite her beauty and power, Hera was a very spiteful goddess. At one point she tried to prevent the birth of Heracles. But much to Hera’s dismay, Galinthias, a servant, derailed her plan. For her revenge, Hera turned Galinthias into a black cat. Galinthias then became the assistant to Hecate the Greek Goddess of Witchcraft; as well as ghosts, the moon, and death. Once again…spooky!!!

Despite the popular belief at the time, King Charles I of England had a black cat and he challenged the folklore. He believed black cats were lucky. However, the day after his cat died the king was arrested for treason and beheaded. Yikes!! Triple spooky!!

Unfortunately, this bias towards black kitties followed the Puritans to America. During the Salem witch trials, people believed that witches were reincarnated into cats. It wasn’t a good time for these furry felines in our nation’s history. The Puritans believe the devil gifted witches black cats as servants. This kind of makes me chuckle. I’ve never known any cat to be a servant to anybody! I think it’s the other way around…even for witches!

How did black cats become the symbol of Halloween?

Since black cats have been associated with witches throughout history it only makes sense that they have become another spooky symbol of Halloween.

Sadly, this folklore has never really died, and black cats are still targets. They are least likely to be adopted and they have the highest euthanasia rate. In fact, many shelters refuse to adopt out black cats in the weeks leading up to Halloween because they are afraid people will use them for satanic rituals. It’s very unfortunate! Black cat owners need to be very careful leading up to Halloween. Growing up we had a black cat named Bernie. On Halloween we always kept him inside, just to be safe.

Do I believe black cats are bad luck?

Absolutely not! In fact, I kind of think they are good luck! I love black kitties! Our black kitty Bernie was the best! He lived until he was seventeen years old. Bernie had a great personality and he was a perfect fit for our family. We loved him so much! If anything, he brought good luck and joy to our lives! The only thing spooky about Bernie was how he stalked bats! Yes, bats! There was a set of bushes in the park behind our house where the bats lived. Bernie would sit there until dark, stalking the bats and waiting to catch one! My mom would call him in for the night, and sometimes he’d catch one of those poor little things and bring them in the house. The bats would escape to the top of the curtain rods and get stuck up there–terrified of Bernie who was staring up at them waiting for one to fall so he could torture it! Does that mean Bernie was a former witch? Nope! It means he was just a cat!

So if you’re contemplating adopting a cat anytime soon, consider adopting a black one! We don’t want the stigma of some silly folklore to hurt these feline friends. Because here at Whoever Said Pets Aren’t Family, we love our black kitties!!

But watch out for those black bunnies…ooh ooh wahahahah!!!

Happy Halloween Friends!