Debunking Black Cat Taboos
cultureMy black cat adopted me, not the other way around. He showed up at my door one day, haggard and skinny, and just kept coming back. He was so cute and curious that I'd invited him inside by the end of the week.
Eight hundred years ago, things would have been different. Back then, a stray black cat prowling around day after day was a sure sign that the devil was at work (at least in some parts of Europe). But despite the passage of literal centuries since the taboo’s origin, black cats have never quite been able to shake their bad reputation. A 2020 study of two shelters in Kentucky even found that they have the lowest adoption rates (just 10%) and highest rates of euthanasia (74.6%) of any feline.
Taboos about black cats, however, are no more rooted in reality than in the belief that you’ll get warts by touching a toad. The only thing that’s dark about these snuggly, playful, intelligent creatures is the color of their coats. Debunking the most persistent myths about them is the best way to make sure that black cats get all the love they deserve.
Taboo 1: Black cats are evil
In the Middle Ages, independent women who did not depend entirely on the authority of the Catholic church were likely to be called out for witchcraft, especially if they spent a lot of time with animals or in nature. It was a way for religious leaders to tamp down dissent and consolidate their power and influence over their communities. In cats, authorities saw similar independent and potentially evil tendencies. It wasn’t a stretch to convince their congregations that cats were symbols of the devil and that witches could take feline form when they wanted. If one began hanging around your home, it could be a witch at work on an evil spell.
At some point in history, the taboo went from applying to all cats to just those with black coats, although no one is exactly sure when or why. In some places in Europe, black cats were beaten to death or burned alive as a way of banishing evil during the month of Lent. In Belgium, they hurled them from church belfries during the “Festival of Cats.”
But no matter how persistent, some myths are simply false. Black cats are not evil. Black cats are not witches, and black cats are not involved in witchcraft. Black cats are just cats with black fur, and in some countries and traditions like ancient Egypt and Japan, that makes them closer to godliness than to evil.
Taboo 2: Black cats carry diseases
It wasn’t just accusations of evil and witchcraft the Middle Ages brought down on the heads of black cats. When the Bubonic plague broke out in Europe, cats were believed to be likely originators of the disease. In response, cats were put to death en masse, but ironically, the culling ultimately did more harm than good.
Cats didn’t carry the Bubonic plague; rats did, along with many other diseases. That’s why British and Irish sailors once believed having a black cat on the ship was good luck: If a cat was on board killing rats—especially a black one who could easily camouflage themselves in the shadows—the less likely they were to get sick.
In an unexpected twist, researchers in the early 2000s made a surprising discovery. The same genetic mutations that give black cats their dark coats may also provide them with increased resistance to certain diseases.
Taboo 3: Black cats are bad luck
Animals with black fur or feathers have been associated with bad luck or death for at least 500 years simply because of their coloring. If a black cat crossed your path or a crow landed nearby, misfortune was surely imminent. If a black cat lay down on the bed of a sick person, death was on its way, and if one showed up at a funeral procession, it was a sign that another family member was soon destined for the grave.
Taboo 4: Black cats are in danger on Halloween
Given their association with witches and evil, it’s not surprising to hear that there’s a persistent myth in the U.S. that black cats are adopted or abducted around Halloween for sacrificial rituals and other nefarious purposes. Luckily, this rumor is patently false. There is no evidence that satanic crimes of this kind, especially those involving black cats, actually exist.
Because of their high rates of euthanasia, black cats are actually more vulnerable to harm if they aren’t adopted from shelters around Halloween. Even if there were a cabal of black cat killers on the loose, shelter and rescue organizations, which regularly do extensive evaluations of potential adopters, would most likely be savvy enough to screen them out.
Black cats aren’t evil or bad luck. Some have just had the misfortune of being raised in places where ancient superstitions die hard. Black cats are the best, and your local shelter probably has several waiting for a home.
For more tips and advice on cat culture and health, check out the other articles in our blog, Small Talk.