By: Julia Valencia

People Editor 

As October rolls in, festive decorations adorn my neighbors’ yards, and I can’t help but wonder, why do black cats fall into the same category as ghosts and ghouls? Black cats do not deserve the negative representation they hold in both myth and media, but to figure out why they have a bad reputation, a quick history lesson is necessary.

Ancient Egyptians saw cats as magical creatures, and according to the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), cats were admired for their “complex, dual nature… combine[ing] grace, fecundity and gentle care with aggression, swiftness and danger.” The Egyptians worshiped all types of cats for their supposed ability to grant good luck to their owners. 

The idea that cats are good luck came to an abrupt halt in the early 13th century when Pope Gregory IX published Vox in Rama, a decretal – a papal letter that gives an authoritative decision on clergy law. The document discusses the role black cats play in witchcraft, a significant issue at the time. Pope Gregory IX proposed that black cats are not furry companions but in actuality Satan in disguise. Witches and black cats were both associated with the devil, so the connection between the two quickly gained traction. After his declaration, a European-wide cat hunt took place with thousands of people participating due in part to their loyalty to the Church.

Although witches have long since been proven fictional, black cats are still facing deep-rooted backlash in the 21st century. They have the lowest adoption rate out of all types of cats at ten percent, and the highest rate of euthanization out of all shelter animals at 74.6 percent.

Yet many do believe that black cats are, in fact, good luck. Some historians even speculate that if Pope Gregory IX had not targeted cats in his decretal, he would have inadvertently saved millions of European lives. This is because the Bubonic Plague, more commonly known as the Black Death, was carried to Europe on fleas, which often lived on the backs of rats. Cats, the animal that Pope Gregory so condemned, are notorious for being rat hunters. The theory goes that if more cats had been around during the height of the Black Death eating the mice transmitting the disease, Europe would likely not have lost one-third of its population. Black cats aren’t looking too bad now, are they?

I have two cats, a black cat and one calico, and I can confidently say that black cats do not deserve the hate that they commonly receive. It is time to change the narrative. Any stigma about black cats is old, from a time when people still thought that the earth was flat. It is safe to say that those ideas are tired and inaccurate. Not only are black cats adorable, but they also make the ideal companions and have many unique personalities, so you are likely to find the perfect black cat for you. If you are considering getting a feline friend, black cats are the way to go.

(Sources: National Geographic, Washington Post)