Those who believe in superstitions do their best to avoid stumbling upon a black cat.
In general, it is believed that seeing a black cat brings bad luck.
Personally speaking, I have come across a black cat a few times, and although I instinctively tried to change my path to save myself from this alleged connection to bad luck, I can’t say that I suffered any incidents of misfortune as a result of such a meeting.
I think that the association of this animal with bad luck could be a case of autosuggestion that results from hearing about it so many times that we come to believe it is true.
So, when this unwanted meeting finally happens, our mind is ready to accept it as a link to bad luck, in spite of lack of any real evidence to support this link.
In my eyes, the black eye in this photo is a real beauty.
It looks like a black panther (a miniature one, though) lying on the ground.
More information on black cats and bad luck
According to History.com, the modern belief that black cats bring bad luck is no modern at all.
Since there is tendency among people to associate bad things in life with the devil, bad luck is viewed as the devil’s work, and a black cat that brings bad luck is non other than the devil himself.
Historically, it was the Catholic Church that officially condemned black cats as the instruments of Satan.
On the contrary, there have been other religions and cults through history that even deified the cat, with the ancient Egyptians being a prime example.
My take on the subject is that a cat, whether having a black or any other color, is a useful animal for various reasons that span from keeping mice at bay to becoming a very friendly and adorable pet.
So why is there such a connection to bad luck?
A hint that comes to mind is that a cat is a very independent animal.
Yes, it can be trained, and yes, it is a loyal animal, but it has its own ways that one cannot go against.
Since the powers of evil are seen as a source of disorder in the universe, it wouldn’t be long before cats were accused of being connected to evil, due to their generally independent, and sometimes disorderly, behavior.
Another reason could be that cats, and felines, in general, are full of mystery.
Especially the eyes of cats are so deep that make cats look like eerie creatures.
When people can’t explain something, they attribute it to the unknown, and cats may have fallen victim of this human habit, so, I guess, they were not very lucky themselves in that.
In fact, there are people who are fast to blame everyone and everything for their alleged bad luck, and it would hard for black cats to escape this blame.
Sources and further reading:
Why Black Cats Are Associated With Halloween and Bad Luck
Superstitions and Black Cats
The Power of Black Cats: Legends That Haunt Them, Responsible Adoptions