Black Cats and Cats in General


We avoid crossing paths with black cats, afraid that they might bring us bad luck. (In Turkey it’s believed that you can reverse the bad luck by holding a part of your hair when it happens.) This idea has its roots in the Middle Ages, when many people believed that witches avoided detection by turning themselves into cats.

A black cat crossing one’s path by moonlight means death in an epidemic. – Irish superstition


Some believed that black cats carried demons.

In England, it was believed that if a black cat lived in the house, the young lass would have plenty of suitors.

In Yorkshire, England, while it is lucky to own a black cat, it is extremely unlucky to come across one accidentally.

Fisherman’s wives kept black cats while their husbands went away to sea. (See Cat’s at Sea)They believed that the black cats would prevent danger from occurring to their husbands. These black cats were considered so valuable that they were often stolen.




Back in ancient days, the Druids thought black cats were human beings. These humans in cat form were being punished for evil deeds.

It is good luck to:

Possess or be given a black cat.

Touch a black cat.

Have a black cat greet you or enter your house.

Meeting three black cats in succession.

Have a black cat cross your path (Britain and Japan)


In France, it is believed that if you find one white hair on a black cat, Lady Luck will smile upon you.

It is bad luck to:

Meet a black cat in the early morning.

Have a black cat turn it’s back on you.

Drive away a black cat.

Walk under a ladder after a black cat has walked under it.

Have a black cat cross your path (USA and European countries).



If a black cat crosses your path while your driving, turn your hat around backwards and mark an X on your windshield to prevent bad luck.


French peasants thought that black cats could find buried treasure, if they followed a specific ritual: find an intersection where 5 roads connected, then turn the cat loose and follow him.

More Superstitions About Cats

Cats have nine lives.

If a cat follows you it means you will come into money.

A bought cat is no good for catching mice.

Some people believe that cats are able to see the human aura, the energy field that surrounds each of us.

Sacred cats kept in a sanctuary in ancient Egypt were carefully tended by priests who watched them day and night. The priests interpreted the cat’s movements – twitch of a whisker, yawn, or stretch – into a prediction of an event that would happen in the future.




According to legend, the ‘M’ marking on the forehead of the tabby cat was created by the prophet Mahomet as he rested his hand lightly on the brow of his favorite cat.

An American superstition: When moving to a new home, put the cat in through the window, not the door, so that it will not leave.


Cats and Luck


In the early 16th century, a visitor to an English home would always kiss the family cat to bring good luck.

In the Dark Ages, a cat was mortared, while still alive, into the foundation of a building to ensure good luck to the inhabitants.

It is bad luck to cross a stream carrying a cat. – French superstition

Cats that have double claws are two times as lucky and they must be protected.

A cat jumping onto a table is unlucky.

Kittens born in May are bad luck.

Bad Omens and Cats:

A black cat seen from behind fortells a bad omen.

A stray tortoise shell cat fortells bad omen.

A cat that unaccountably leaves home = disaster.

It’s bad luck to hear a cat crying just before you set off on a journey.

Cats and the Sick, Dying, and Dead

If cats desert a house, illness will always reign there. – English superstition

    Cat Cures:





Ashes from the burnt head of a black cat are a remedy for eye diseases when blown into the eyes.

Cats’ blood mixed with milk can be used to treat shingles.

Gravy made with stewed black cat cures consumption.

Stroking a wart with the tail of a tortoiseshell cat cures warts, but only in the month of May.

Rubbing the tail of a black cat on the eyelid cures sties.

Cats’ blood will cure warts.

Swallowing nine hairs from the tail of a black cat alleviates whooping cough.

Holding a dried catskin over the face cures toothache.

    Cats and Death:

A sick person sees two cats fighting.

A sick person dreams of cats.

A cat leaves the house in which there is a sick person and refuses to go back.

In Transylvania, if a cat jumps over a corpse, the corpse will become a vampire.

Some people believe that cats may be able to see the spectre of death.


Immigrants from Scotland believed that if a cat entered a room where a dead body was in state, the next person to touch the cat would be blinded. Therefore, the cat in such situations was immediately killed.

If a funeral procession encountered a black cat, they believed another member of the family would soon die.

In Normandy, seeing a tortoiseshell foretells death by accident.


Cats Can Predict the Weather!


Keeping a cat shut up in something ends bad weather.

Witches who rode on storms took the form of cats.

The dog, an attendant of the storm king Odin, was a symbol of wind. Cats came to symbolize down-pouring rain, and dogs to symbolize strong gusts of wind. This may be where the phrase “it’s raining cats and dogs” originated

If early American cats sat with their backs to the fire, the owners knew it foretold a cold snap.


    Omens of rain:

A cat licking it’s tail.

A cat licking itself clean.

A cat washing behind it’s ears.

A cat resting with the flat part of it’s head on the ground.

A sneezing cat.


When the pupil of a cat’s eye broadens, there will be rain. – Welsh superstition

    Omens of bad weather:

A restless cat

A cat putting it’s tail toward the fire

A cat sitting with it’s back toward the fire.

A Cat scratching the leg of a table means there will be a change in the weather.

Cats at Sea


Throwing a cat overboard will bring a storm at sea.

If a cat meows aboard a ship it will be a difficult trip.



Sailors believed that the worst possible cat-related act, guaranteed to raise a storm and bring bad luck of all sorts, was to throw the cat overboard.

If a cat was thrown overboard, a storm would rise and very bad luck would follow.

Fishermen’s wives kept a black cat at home to prevent disaster at sea.

If a cat ran ahead of a sailor to the pier, it was believed that would bring good luck; if the cat crossed his path, it would bring bad luck.

If a sailor was approached by the ship’s cat it meant good luck, but if the cat only came halfway, it meant bad luck would befall the sailor.

Cats in the Theatre

Having a cat about a theatre is good luck.

A cat running across a stage during a performance means bad luck will follow.

Cats Sneezing:

A cat sneezing once means there will be rain.

A cat sneezing once is good luck.

A cat sneezing three times means members of the family will develop colds.

A sneezing cat is a sign of future wealth.

A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. – Italian superstition

Cats Washing and Grooming:

If there is a cat washing on the doorstep, the clergy will visit – American folklore

A cat washing it’s right ear means a male stranger is coming.

A cat washing it’s left ear means a female stranger is coming.

If a cat washes its face and paws in the parlor, company’s coming.

Cats of Other Colors:

See also Cats and Dreams

A three-colored cat protects homes from fire.

Black, white and gray cats are good luck.

It’s bad luck if a stray tortoiseshell cat comes into your house.

Tortoiseshell cats were believed to be able to see into the future and could give the gift to a lucky child in the household.

In Normandy, seeing a tortoiseshell cat foretold death by accident.


    White Cats

It is bad luck to see a white cat at night. – American superstition

To see a white cat on the road is lucky. – American superstition


It is bad luck to see a white cat at night.

Love and Cats

When a girl living in the Ozark Mountains received a proposal of marriage and was uncertain whether to accept, she folded and placed 3 hairs from a cat’s tail into a paper under her doorstep. The next morning, she would unfold the paper to see if the hairs had formed themselves into a Y or N before answering her suitor.


A bride will have a happy married life if a black cat sneezes near her on her wedding day.

Having the family cat at your wedding is good luck.

Hurting Cats

The French believed that if a girl tread on a cat’s tail, she would not find a husband before a year is out.


If you kill a cat, you are sacrificing your soul to the Devil

If you drown a cat, the devil will get you.


If you are a farmer and kill a cat, you can expect your cattle to die mysteriously.

To end even one of a cat’s 9 lives was to risk being haunted by that particular cat for the rest of the murderer’s life.


Cats and Kids

If you dream of a black and white cat, you’ll have luck with children; may also mean the birth of a child.

The Pennsylvania Dutch place a cat in an empty cradle of a newlywed couple. The cat was supposed to grant their wish for children.

Norse legend tells of Freya, goddess of love and fertility, whose chariot was pulled by two black cats.

In Scandinavia, the cat stood for fertility.

The Hindu believed the cat was the symbol for childbirth.

Cats can suck away the breath of sleeping children.


Dreaming about Cats








To dream of a black cat is lucky.



fightingcatsA dream of two cats fighting means illness or a quarrel.

One Roman dream interpretation was that dreaming of being badly scratched by a cat foretold sickness and trouble.







Cats and Witches





A kitten born in May will be a witches cat.

Some believe black cats are witches in disguise.


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11 Responses

  1. vj says:

    why do people want to hurt cats or even black cats? i want a curse who ever kill hurt, a cat or a black i want a cure for them not to hurt angone them. i may as well make my owen,who want to hurt andy cats,kittens or Black Cats or Cat well be dammed forever

  2. Mark says:

    As I was coming home from school today, my friend’s black cat (with some white fur on its gut) did not cross my path, but it did approach me. So I petted it. Is that a good thing? Because it did say in this article, that if you touch (pet) a black cat, and if it comes towards you, it may bring good fortune/luck. It’s true, right?

  3. jeremy says:

    Hi i’m 25 yr old male , i have been reading through everybody comments on this page and it looks interesting however i have a few questions concerning these superstitions and the life cycles i’m going through , i just moved to a new state in the last 10 months for change and lived in two homes since then i have had alot of opportunities job wise and all over a sudden the pages just flipped on me, with that being said i moved to a new home early this year and i have been seeing various black and one same cat around , one day i had left the back door open and a black cat entered my house i have looked up superstitions and they say its good luck so i told my ex girl friend to take it out however in a few weeks i was called for another new job, another time i found three black cats on my door step and like i said i was curious and looked it up and it was good luck a couple days later i was called and offered another job which i didn’t go to . i have also seen the same white cat i talked about earlier during the day and at night. As i write this at night ,i was just at my neighbors house while sitted on the screen porch i saw the white cat again at the next door neighbor and then saw a black cat laying in the middle of the road on the left side directly looking at me , i looked again the cat had disappeared i then walked back to my house and saw another black cat walking toward my back door entrance it then stopped in the middle of the road sat down and looked at me for a few minutes and then walked to its right. Another time i saw the 2 black cats fighting in my drive way , i have also seen a cat eating grass and they that means its sick and taking its medicine and it happened to be that i have a family member who is sick as well.

    However with all this being said in a period of 6 months i have had alot of really great great opportunities come across my way and bad things happen too




  4. anonymous says:

    A couple of years back, my mom and dad build a home. We moved in and maybe about 3 years after my mom found a black cat and a white cat dead burried in her back yard. One on each side of the corner of my dads room and the other by the laudry room. What does it mean? My mom and dad started having problems right after she found those cats, now they are at each other’s throats. If anyone can help me I would greatly appreciate it. I also lost a brother. Don’t know if that would have anything to do with it.

    Thank you,


  5. Neccile says:

    The white cat is supposed be a symbol of faith, yet if found dead then faith will be losy. Some that it is the sign of hardship though.

  6. Stefanie says:

    I am a 20 year old female and live in a small farm house were cats are not an unlikely thing to come by; however, i have had a strange run in with one in particular. the first time i saw it i was coming out to my car at about 10pm and it was sitting across the way under the light just staring it was as if it was waiting for me. a few weeks passed and two days ago it was at my front porch meowing all morning. the next day i came home and it was at my back door and sat there after i came inside for a while the same night it made its way to my front porch scratching at the door as if trying to get in and this morning it was still on my porch i had a friend over and as she was leaving the cat came straight to me and completely ignored her i came back inside and now im typing this comment. the cat is black with a tail that appears to have been cut about an inch shorter then a normal cat and it has one green eye and one green eye with large brown spots in it what can this possibly mean???

  7. 12/13/14 says:

    Throwing a black cat over your left shoulder whilst carrying an open umbrella in doors and walking on a broken mirror under a ladder is proven unlucky!

  8. Ana says:

    In April of 2013. I had a dream of a cat attacking me. Ever since then my life went down the drain. I’m big on looking up the meaning of my dream. Cause they always mean something. I just can’t explain. I can’t get right. Someone can help me to diffuse this madness, pleases.

  9. bianca says:

    Earlier this evening my step dad was smoking in our front porch/door and he saw a black cat walking up to him. He called us just to see the cat and we all went and touched it and the cat seemed to be very friendly and he was trying to enter our house, he did like 3 times. We gave him food but he didn’t eat which was weird. I really hope this means good luck.

  10. GEI says:

    what could this possibly mean: cat meowing on my porch and left scratches of wood (debris) on the porch?

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