The black cat superstition says a black cat crossing your path is bad luck, mostly in the US, while in the UK a black cat is considered lucky.
Origin
In medieval Europe, black cats were linked to witchcraft. Pope Gregory IX’s 1233 document Vox in Rama associated cats with devil worship.
Where
In the US, a black cat crossing your path is bad luck. In Britain and Ireland, it can mean good luck. In Japan, black cats bring good fortune.
Evidence
No evidence shows bad luck.
Fact
Black Cat Appreciation Day is August 17.
Adoption
Black cats are adopted as readily as others in some studies.
Origin of the belief
The black cat superstition has European roots. In medieval Europe, black cats were linked with witchcraft, and Pope Gregory IX’s 1233 bull Vox in Rama mentions a black cat in the context of devil worship. In Britain, however, a black cat crossing your path was considered good luck, and sailors kept black cats for good fortune. In Japan, black cats are considered lucky for single women, and in Germany it depends on direction.
- The belief about crossing paths in the US is bad luck, tied to Puritan influence and Halloween imagery.
- Ancient Egyptians revered cats, including Bastet.
- Some shelters report black cats are adopted less often, a pattern sometimes called “black cat syndrome,” though a 2013 ASPCA-linked study found little evidence of lower adoption in some data.
Evidence
There is no evidence that black cats cause bad luck. Black color comes from a genetic variant giving extra melanin. Cats are safe to adopt in any color. Some shelters limit black cat adoption near Halloween as a precaution against pranks, though evidence of widespread harm is limited.
Origin of the belief
In medieval Europe, black cats were linked to witches. In some places such as the UK and Japan, a black cat is good luck. The superstition grew during the 1692 Salem period, though no accounts show black cats were central.
Evidence
Black cats are adopted less than other colors in some shelters, a phenomenon called black cat syndrome. Superstition is not supported by any evidence.
Where the belief comes from
Black cats are linked to bad luck mainly in the United States and parts of Europe, partly from medieval associations of cats with witches. In the UK, Scotland and Japan, a black cat crossing your path is often seen as good luck. Many sailors considered black ship cats lucky. In Egypt, cats were revered, and Bastet was a cat goddess.
When people say it is unlucky
The superstition often says it is bad luck when a black cat crosses your path, especially from left to right in some versions, or on Friday the 13th. There is no scientific evidence for it. Black cats are often adopted less and sometimes face higher risks around Halloween, so some shelters pause adoptions in October. National Black Cat Day is on October 27 in the UK and August 17 in the US.
Based on data from the ASPCA and folklore research
