Black cats have long been associated with Halloween and witches. The superstition that black cats bring bad luck, especially when crossing one’s path, is one of the oldest and most enduring beliefs, and it helped cement their role as spooky Halloween symbols. While cats were revered in ancient Egypt and appeared positively in Greek mythology, black cats became linked to evil in medieval Europe. In 1233, a church decree declared black cats to be incarnations of Satan, fueling the Inquisition and witch hunts. As the Christian church sought power, witches and their animal companions were viewed as threats, leading to persecution. Black cats became associated with witches’ “familiars,” possibly because their dark fur made them effective nighttime hunters.

This fear spread to the Americas with Puritan settlers. During the Middle Ages, cats were often killed, sometimes blamed for spreading the plague which ironically worsened it by allowing rodent populations to grow. The belief that a black cat crossing one’s path was a bad omen arose from fears that the animal might be a witch or the devil in disguise, a superstition that persisted into the Renaissance and was often encouraged by the church.

Historically, black cats were considered symbols of good fortune in many cultures. Sailors favored black cats as ship companions for luck and protection at sea, and fishermen’s wives kept them at home for the same reason. In southern Chilean folklore, black cats play a key role in treasure hunting legends. Across the world, black cats are widely viewed as auspicious: they symbolize good luck in Japan, prosperity in Scotland, Latvia, Italy, Germany (when crossing left to right), and Thailand, where traditional texts even describe multiple breeds of black cats.

In Celtic regions and England they are largely seen as symbols of good luck. In UK folklore, black cats are associated with fortune, a view supported by the RSPCA. Scottish tradition holds that a black cat arriving at a new home brings prosperity, while Welsh folklore says black cats protect households and promote good health, as reflected in traditional poetry. However, Gaelic traditions also include darker interpretations, with some black cats viewed as feral or malevolent. In Scottish mythology, the Cat sìth is a fairy creature that appears as a black cat with a white chest marking.

Today many of the superstitions surrounding Black Cats have faded in modern Western culture. Today, they are commonly kept as pets, even by Christian clergy, and are rarely seen as unlucky.

All published appearances of Black Cats from before January 1, )-(95)}} are public domain in the US.

Some notable appearances are listed below:

* The Black Cat (1843)
* The Black Cat Magazine (1895-1922)
* Beware the Cat (1553)
* The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1902)
* All the Funny Folks (1926)
* I Don't Scare (1956)

Appearances for notable Black Cats such as Felix and Julius can be found on their respective pages.

Some other notable appearances are listed below:

* Krazy Kat (1916-1917)
* Krazy Kat (Bray Productions) (1920-1921)
* Krazy Kat (Winkler Pictures) (1925-1930)
* The Skeleton Dance (1929)

* The 1st Annual Macy's Christmas Parade (1924)

* The Dingbat Family (1910-1916)
* Krazy Kat (1913-1943)

*Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre Advertisement print (1977)

* Yellowjacket Comics #1
* Amazing Mystery Funnies #23
* Out of the Night #16

* Black Cat #1-30, 54-56, 63-65 - An anthology from Harvey Comics, it began as a title featuring the eponymous heroine, and ended up as a series of horror comics.
* Pocket Comics #1-4
* Speed Comics #17-38, 40, 44
* All-New Comics #6,9, 15
* Super-Dooper Comics #6, 15
* Joe Palooka Comics #8, 10-21, 23-25, 117
* Terry and the Pirates #4,5,7,11-13, 15, 23
* Humphrey Comics #1-3
* Alarming Tales#1
* Army & Navy Fun Parade #50,51
* Fun Parade #45,48
* Hello Buddies #47
* Kerry Drake Detective Cases #12
* Thrills of Tomorrow #20

* One of the earliest female costumed crimefighters in comics, Hollywood starlet Linda Turner wore a black cat costume to exploit her director’s superstitions after suspecting him of being a Nazi—and enjoyed it so much that she went on to fight crime as the Black Cat.
* Marvel later introduce Black Cat, a.k.a. Felicia Hardy, is a black cat-themed thief with probability-influencing abilities to inflict bad luck on her enemies.

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_cat#Superstition,_folklore,_bringer_of_good_or_bad_luck Wikipedia]
*[https://www.history.com/articles/black-cats-superstitions History Channel]
*[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/search/?header=1&q=Black%20Cat ComicVine]
*[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BlackCatLuck TV Tropes]
*[https://myths-in-media.fandom.com/wiki/Black_cat Myths in Media Wiki]
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