The Halloween cat: a demonic assistant or furry family member?

It’s safe to say that humans and cats have had a… rocky relationship over the centuries. Now the furry family members of many a household, the cuties weren’t always considered the revered fluffy sidekicks that we know and love today. Despite their place in the modern home, the Halloween-cat link is still ever popular (just take a look in your local accessory store in October). 

So why are cats such an important symbol of today’s Halloween celebrations? And where exactly does the Halloween black cat come from? Well hold onto your witch hats as we journey along cat symbolism throughout history (it’s a bumpy one). We’ll explore their lofty beginnings as near-deities in the ancient world, through to evil bringers of bad luck in the Middle Ages, plus the Gaelic celebration that brought the Halloween black cat literally right onto your doorstep…

Cats and the ancient world

The link between cats and humans dates all the way back to Ancient Egypt, where wild cats living on the edges of society slowly became an important part of the culture (if you've recently been asking yourself - where do cats come from - head to our blog for a brief history!). Along with their abilities to control vermin, cats eventually became household residents, probably loved and cherished by their humans in a similar way to today. 

Over time, cats became an important symbol within Ancient Egyptian beliefs and religions, with Ancient Egyptian cat symbolism centered around luck, royalty, fertility, motherhood, sexuality and playfulness. The Ancient Egyptians even had a goddess who was often depicted as part-cat, with her head seeming somewhat feline, and her body human female. This goddess was named Bastet, with her realms centered around protection, pleasure and good health.

These domesticated and sometimes worshiped furry sidekicks then spread from Egypt across Greece and Rome, probably amongst the trade of exotic items. Over time, like in Ancient Egypt, cats also became associated with ‘pagan’ deities in Greece and Rome - Artemis in Greece and Diana in Rome. These godlike perceptions of felines continued for hundreds of years, until the (of course false) message was spread of their evil…

From gods to demons: how did it happen?

So, how did our feline friends go from being worshiped to avoided, punished and persecuted? Well to understand why, we have to remember that cats represented pagan worship. Many historians agree that the demonisation of cats was down to the fact that it wasn’t in the interest of those in charge to continue allowing the positive (pagan) association with cats to continue. 

In the 13th century and after reports of heresy across Europe, Pope Gregory IX published Vox in Rama.In his famous text, he condemned heresy and in doing so, identified cats (especially black cats) with Satan and Luciferianism. During this time, the idea that cats were evil and bringers of bad luck became ingrained in the Christian public’s belief, resulting in the death of millions of cats over the following years. So, is this how we came to know the Halloween black cat? Unfortunately cats continued having a rough time throughout the later centuries, so keep holding onto that hat…

Black cats: the witch’s demonic assistant

In the years that followed, the infamous witch trials took place which persecuted thousands of people across Britain, Europe and America. It’s no surprise that in the lead-up to the witch trials and during, cats became heavily associated with witches. For many, those targeted in the trials were females living in solitude, many of which might have had an innocent feline friend at home. 

It was believed that cats were used to inflict evil by the so-called witches, who could even take the shape of their four-legged friend! As the witch trials finally came to an end, the evil cat symbolism and their association with witches began to fade with it. As the fear of witches ebbed away and cats were no longer genuinely seen as devilish, their reputation stuck in the art world. In the poetry, books and films that followed, our four-legged friends were still associated with their former tropes of witchery, mystery and non-conformity.

The Halloween black cat

While the Halloween-cat link can be loosely traced back throughout history, shaping the way that people view our feline friends, a more direct link between Halloween and cats is the celebration of Samhain. It’s a Gaelic festival that marks the end of the harvest season and the start of winter, with celebrations starting on 31st October and ending on 1st November. It had been celebrated for some time, when in the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated 1st November as a time to honor the Catholic saints. The day was known as All Saints Day, and the evening before came to be recognized as All Hallows Eve. The practices between the two celebrations (Samhain and All Hallows Eve) merged in popular culture, creating what many now celebrate as Halloween. So, what about the Halloween-cat link?

In a Celtic myth told by those who celebrated Samhain, fairy creatures called Cat Sìths haunted the Scottish highlands, sometimes stealing souls along the way (as you do). Unlike today’s pet cats, these creatures were large, but shared markings we’d recognize - they were black all over with just one white spot on their chests. 

The myth said that the Cat Sìths would bless any household that leaves a saucer of milk out on Samhain, but all houses who don’t will be cursed (cats really crave milk once they’ve had a taste, so we can’t blame them). So with the merge between Samhain, Halloween and eventually popular culture, the Halloween black cat was born, flourishing throughout the arts, onto our streets and into our shops.

Fancy a broomstick-first deep dive into black cat breeds?

Turns out there are a fair few different black cat breeds, none of which are the Halloween black cat! Explore all the stunning breeds that can be found with a silky black coat in our blog, where we can safely guarantee that none are up to any witchcraft.