We’ve all heard it: Black cats languish in shelters because people believe they bring bad luck or, worse, that they’re just evil. And, of course, everybody knows black cats are often tortured ...

In Western culture, a witch's familiar is often depicted as a black cat. As far back as the 13th century, black cats have been associated with the occult when Pope Gregory IX issued an official ...

Here’s the thing, though: No one’s exactly sure why the poor dears are considered unlucky in so much of Western culture. Some countries — Japan and parts of the U.K. — consider the black ...

The black cat has also been associated with witches since the medieval period in Europe. Which is why you may see a black cat drawn with a witch in modern Halloween decorations.

Did Mass Cat Killings Help Spread the Black Death in the Middle Ages? The idea originated with a 13th-century pope who accused devil-worshippers of kissing cats' hindquarters.

In Western culture, a witch's familiar is often depicted as a black cat. As far back as the 13th century, black cats have been associated with the occult when Pope Gregory IX issued an official ...