The Cat & Halloween

Ever wonder why the image of a black cat is so closely associated with Halloween?  Or why they are associated with evil, bad luck, and witches?

Over the years the cat’s nocturnal habits have created a mystique around them that left the human imagination running wild.  Cute, cuddly kittens by day and sneaky hunters by night, the cat’s natural behaviors left many historic observers paranoid.  Adding to the suspicions were typical cat behaviors such as batting at or looking at things unseen by people and their uncanny senses in the dark.  Observations such as these caused many theories and stories about the cat’s nature to be told.

Also, in Europe many pagan religions including witchcraft were tightly associated with animals, including cats.  During the rise of Christianity when paganism was deemed “evil” by many, cats got wrapped up in the stigmatism.  Black has also always been a color associated with the night and evil things, hence the black cat earning a bad rap.