Before developing their unlucky reputations black cats were a symbol of luck and rebirth.

In Egypt, the black cat was thought to be a symbol of the goddess Bast—the supposed divine mother and protectress of the lands—and those who dared to kill cats were punished severely. Likewise, in Britain and Europe, having a black cat cross your path was actually considered good luck.

The change came with the rise of Christianity. The relationship between a witch and her cat was likely established during pre-Christian Europe, when witches were considered part of a pagan (rustic) religion and not yet associated with evil forces. During the Middle Ages, it was the church that portrayed witches as unholy and worshippers of Satan. The church disseminated this belief, leading many to think that cats, witches’ familiars, crossing their paths were actually witches in disguise. This idea spread to America during the witch hunts, where entire populations thought witches to be a sign of bad luck; as a result, the black cats associated with them became labeled as well.

At the same time, Europeans, with the support of the church, began associating black cats (independent of the witches) with darker beings as well. Being nocturnal animals, they were also believed to be witches’ servants. Combined with their slick movements and bright eyes, the people thought they possessed evil powers. Oftentimes, when one who had coincidentally been near a black cat at a time became ill, the blame was thrown onto the black cat.