From a 150 pound panther to a 10 pound house cat, black cats are truly beautiful.  There is nothing more sleek and graceful than a black cat crossing the room toward you to head bump your leg and claim you as his/hers, then curl up in your lap and purr itself to sleep.

A black cat is a feline whose fur is uniformly all black, or almost all black. It is not a particular breed of cat.  Both mixed breed and some purebred cat breeds may be black. 

The all-black pigmentation is equally prevalent in both male and female cats.

Black cats are actually known for giving good luck.  Interestingly enough, in most other cultures, the black cat is a prized possession. Owning one is considered to bring the owner good luck.   Adopt your "good luck charm" today (type in "black" for Breed) !

Unfortunately, one of the three prevalent superstitions alive in the American culture today concerns the black cat. These superstitions are:
   1.  the number 13 being unlucky,
   2.  you don’t walk under an open ladder, and
   3.  if a black cat crosses your path, it is considered bad luck.
As a result, black cats have been found to have lower odds of adoption in American shelters compared to other colors.   Help us change this statistic by adopting a black cat today!

Origins and History

The origin of the black cat and good luck is believed to have begun in Ancient Egypt with the sacred black cat of Oagans- BAST. BAST, a goddess of Egypt reigned in the Twenty-Second Dynasty and was the official deity of Egypt. Many courted her favors, by procuring black cats into their households; believing that she would become part of that cat in spirit, and grace the home with riches and prosperity.

In the 1600’s Charles I of England, owned a black cat. He fiercely loved and protected his cat. Keeping it under guard 24/7, until one day the cat fell ill and died. Charles I was heard to proclaim- “Alas my luck is gone.”   In the Yorkshires, a black cat was said to bring the fishermen home safely from the seas.  In parts of Europe, if a black cat crosses your path, you are considered to have good fortune. If a black cat walks into your house or home, you are truly blessed.

So when did the attitude change about black cats and why?

When the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock, they brought with them a devout faith in the Bible. They also brought a deepening suspicion of anything deemed of the devil. Comprised of Englanders and Europeans, these pilgrims were a deeply suspicious group. They viewed the black cat as a companion, or a familiar to witches. Anyone caught with a black cat would be severely punished or even killed. They viewed the black cat as part demon and part sorcery.

Fueling this vision of the black cat being an evil symbol, is the advertising push for Halloween. Posters and cards with witches in flight, and a black cat perched on her broom, a full moon showing, and a black cat in silhouette arched back spitting into the night, or a witch stirring her cauldron with a black cat perched nearby does little to dispel this myth. All are familiar scenes we have grown up with. We bake black cat cookies, deck our kids out in witches hats with black cats on the peak, and on the cloak.

But Halloween is a scary time for any cat. Kids in costumes going door to door can easily scare the most laid-back cat. Keeping your cat(s) indoors and shut into a room is the easiest way to prevent accidents or heartache. See all our Halloween Pet Safety Tips!

If you are fortunate enough to own a black cat, you are not (as you well know) unlucky at all. You can’t get any luckier than that.
Adopt your "good luck charm" today (type in "black" for Breed) !

Sources:

• TheCatSite - Written by Mary Anne Miller - Mary Anne Miller is a free-lance writer, and member of the Cat Writers' Association. She is a web copy writer, and passionate about feral cats/kittens and bottle babies. You can read more by Mary Anne at her Feral Cat Behavior Blog.

• Wikipedia - Black Cat