Have you ever gone on a walk with your friends on the street and heard one of them say, “THERE’S A BLACK CAT, THAT MEANS BAD LUCK!” or at least say something similar to that? Well, let’s talk about the Black Cat Superstition. 

How it started

According to Origins, the fear of black cats first arose in Europe in the Middle Ages. As their numbers grew within the cities- they were seen as pests. Cats are nocturnal and roam at night; consequently, their agile movements and eyes that “glowed” at night became the image of darkness, mystery, and evil. (They were maimed, hunted down, and even sacrificed in demonic rituals on Halloween night). No data supports this- some stories are heard or spread from others about black cats being killed or harmed, especially during Halloween. Black cats are said to be part of witchcraft or devilry; black cats are often ‘targeted’ with bad and violent intentions because of this. 

Origin

So why do they have to have this silly superstition? It goes back to Greekology. According to Four Paws, “Western culture dates back to Ancient Greece. According to Greek mythology, Zeus’s wife Hera once transformed her servant, Galinthias, into a black cat as punishment for impeding the birth of Hercules. Galinthias becomes an assistant to Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, and black cats have had unique meanings in various cultures ever since.”  

The truth

Now, these are all just myths and superstitions, and as claimed in most articles- mostly black cats are not harmed on Halloween- there are no records. In other places, if you live in Japan or the United Kingdom, crossing a black cat means good luck (that good fortune is on its way). In China, the older, uglier, and blacker a cat is, the luckier it is for those who have. People of Scotland consider the black cat showing up at their door as a sign of wealth and prosperity. 

It even came to some points where people use/used black cats just for photos. I mean that people go to pet adoption centers to buy black cats, use them as ‘living decoration’ or for that ‘creepy vibe’- and put them back in the centers. It causes the cat stress and could be harmful to the cat. Black cats are the least adopted cats because of their fur and because of their superstitions.

They’re just like any other cat and shouldn’t be treated differently just because of something that happened back in Greek mythology.