Since basically forever, black cats have been associated with Halloween, alongside pumpkins and ghouls, but why is this? And is there any truth to their spooky folklore?
Well, it’s a bit of a history lesson if we really get down to it. Cats have historically been held in pretty high reverence, the ancient Egyptians worshipped them as goddesses. But with the arrival of the Romans and the subsequent banning of pagan worship, cats were essentially knocked off their pedestal and left to live alongside their mortal friends.
Over time it seems cats, especially black cats became recognised as a symbol of bad luck. This was only exaggerated by the publishing of Vox in Rama by the Pope in 1233. It condemned devil worship and outlined one of ‘devils’ worshipped by satanic cults that took the form of a black cat. Black cats became stained with superstition and seen as bad omen.
This narrative from the Church led to linking cats to another prevalent Halloween icon – the witch! The Pope proposed that cats were the ‘devil’s favourite animal and idol of all witches’. Women and cats seen together were considered to be witch and her supernatural entity in cat form, and both were to be burned at the stake. Cats by their own nature didn’t do much to discourage the theories – independent, aloof and most nocturnal, they played into the witchy ways a little too well, with black cats the most spooky.
By the 19th century, black cats were no longer being seen as solely dark creatures, though often still written as mysterious characters in arts and literature. Despite being considered as bad omens to those a little more superstitious, the 20th century saw cats welcomed back into people’s homes as cherished pets, even those with darker fur. Black cats really flipped the script on their Halloween status proving to be good luck with their presence at your door now believed to ward off evil spirits.
It seems there’ll always be a stigma around black cats and Halloween superstitions. Even to this day, black cats are said to spend longer in shelters waiting for their forever homes. But we believe all cats of any kind can only bring good luck, and if you’re looking to adopt a furry ghouly in the near future, maybe consider adding a black cat to the family and changing that age-old narrative.
