Sometimes black cats are seen as bad luck over here – mostly by old and superstitious people. There’s a saying in Russian that if a black cat crosses your road, it’s bad luck; a couple of friends that have had a falling out can be described as “a black cat has run between them”. Nowadays it’s all said in a joking manner and people love black cats, but some older people may get jumpy around them. Does your language or culture have the idea of black cats bringing bad luck? (I know that it’s probably obsolete now, but maybe a certain phrase still remains)
By the way, I’ve heard that shelters don’t give out black cats in the US around Halloween, in order to prevent people using them as props for Halloween parties. Russia doesn’t celebrate Halloween, so our shelters do not impose such a policy. Do you guys have something like that too?
Also, I love cats, especially black cats, so if you do have any, please show me!
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Everybody knows about the saying that black cats are bad luck, but nobody actually believes in it! Actual belief in superstition is very low, even in older age groups.
So black cats are treated like any other cats.
The same saying about bad luck is well known here, even the black cat crossing the road thing. People that believe that are most likely in the older generations though, just like you said.
I saw a warning on the pt sub about being careful with letting your black cats out on the previous Friday 13, so maybe there is still some degree of that going on, unfortunately. Otherwise, they’re treated like other cats. It’s rare to hear about abuse.
The same idea exists , and black cats even still have a lower chance of getting adopted but nobody actually beliefs in it and there are people who even get a black cat cause it’s cool and witchy.
Halloween has become more of a thing recently but it’s not that big that a ton of people would get a cat just for that.
When the black cat crossed a street before you, you should turn your head left and spit. Or wait until somebody else cross the black cat’s path. Otherwise you would be unlucky 🙂
My parents actually adhere to this bullsh*t 🙂
In England, the tradition is that black cats are good luck. However if one walks away from you, it takes the good luck with it.
Over the past couple of decades, people have been starting to mix up our original tradition with the American tradition that black cats are bad luck. That one most likely dates back to the Puritanical Pilgrim Fathers, for whom anything “not of God” was bad.
It has also had an effect on the rates at which black cats get adopted from shelters: black cats are always the last to get chosen.
If a black cat crosses a road you need to spit to avoid bad luck.
I guess some people still believe in old superstitious things…
In Italy, too, the black cat is traditionally considered a sign of bad luck, but nowadays practically no one believes this any more, and it is quite normal for people to keep black cats at home for company.
It’s bad luck, but not if you have one at home. Also we don’t care that much. We have loads of cats and if there is one in the hood you are safe from the badluck. Mewhahhaha!!
They are treated like any other cat I guess?
It is illegal to feed stray animals, but people feed them and give them water. In the 1st year of pandemic I watched the cats in the building’s garden. They are chill and nice mostly.
Some people dislike Halloween here, but i noticed many women dress like cats on Halloween. It’s kind of sexy. We do not follow Halloween rules. You can dress up as Spock, it’s an occasion to dress in costumes and have a party.
In Turkey they are traditionally seen as bad luck but I haven’t seen anyone (except some elderlies) believes this.
However, the black cats in my street are far less affectionate towards humans compared to other colored ones, so maybe people don’t prefer to pet them.
When I heard someone be superstitious about black cats it was actually the opposite: that they are good luck. So this lady had two cats that I knew and both were black. One had green eyes. It was goooooorgeous.
By the way, there is a shop chain for home furniture and decoration, etc. called “Gato Preto” (Black Cat) in Portugal. So, I would say, no, nothing mainstream against black cats here.
Same superstitions are known in Austria as in most of Europea surrounding black cats. Never met a person who actually believes it or would get uncomfortable due to a black cat. Think there even is some differentiation, depending on which direction the cat runs but I can’t even say which one is which. So whenever I see a black cat it is “oww cute cat”.
Some believe that they bring bad luck if they cross your road and you continue to walk. After that you need to look left and spit 3 times.
Domesticated cats (in someone’s house or when you know its your neighbour cat) dont count.
Not all of people believe in that, also old people love to give stray cats food, so its literally impossible to walk near houses and dont cross the road with black cat.
Also white, ginger cat and more-then-3-colors cat gives luck
In Estonia, there are similar superstitions but I believe that they aren’t taken seriously.
In Italy on the other hand..will just say that we have had 2 black cats and they both were found in the trashbin.
We’re not really a superstitious country, so we treat them the same as other cats. How that treatment is depends on the person, some people like cats while others don’t.
Black cats in Irish mythology are associated with good luck, particularly if they cross your path. They’re definitely not a negative symbol. In general the attitude to cats is positive and friendly. They held some status in ancient folklore, which was a bit mysterious, but largely positive, as long as you’re nice to them…
The superstition I learned in Scotland is that it is good luck if a black cat crosses your path. But I haven’t heard it since I was a small child.
It is a very weird for me to hear that about USA.
Black cat is just a cat who is black.
In general, the attitude in Ukraine is the same as in Russia. We know the superstition.
I remember that we, as schoolchilren returning from school, choose a different path home because of a black cat. If it was not an option (a long detour), we crossed the imaginary line by moving backwards to fool the curse. Or waiting for someone else to move first because AFAIK the curse works only for one person.
Black cats are treated like any other but:
– we have a known superstition that they’re bad luck or witches cats (that almost no one believes)
– they’re considered common/not special
– they’re most likely to be euthanised/least likely to be ‘chosen’ as rescue cats (theories range from ‘they’re harder to capture in photos’ to ‘they look boring’)
My parents don’t really believe in superstitions, but half-jokingly listen to them “just in case”. There was once when we were leaving by car a small town we were visiting and a black cat crossed the road. My dad tuened around and used a different exit, all while we laughed at the absurdity of this.
We were looking to adopt cats from shelters in Belgium and we got our two black girls there that were not adopted for some time – but they were a perfect match for our profile (and I couldn’t agree more). Employees of the shelter told us that black cats have it harder to be adopted and in general it takes longer for them to find a family. So there is definitely some superstition here.
Back in 90’s some people were like : “when black cat will cross road before you, it’s a sign of bad luck”. But nowadays no one cares.
My first two cats were black.
We have the same tradition in the U.K. but nowadays nobody cares about it. If you saw a black cat cross the road you might say “oh, bad luck!” but just as a joke.
These days people probably connect them more with witches and such.
I personally have a black cat and love him very much!
In France, I think it only is a sign of bad luck if the black cat crosses the road in front of you towards the left side.
Otherwise, it’s cool.
And there is also something about spitting but I don’t exactly know how…