When “Bad Luck” Is Actually a Blessing: A Reflection for National Black Cat Day

National Black Cat Day is a day that always makes me think about how humans see, label, and often misunderstand beyond-human animals.

I’ve always had a soft spot for black cats. When I was a kid, I thought Bombay cats were some of the most beautiful beings I’d ever seen. This was before I learned about the harms of breeding, and how humans manipulated animals’ bodies and minds for our own purposes and preferences. Over time, I realized it wasn’t about a “breed” at all. It turns out that I loved black cats. I was drawn to them the way I’ve always been drawn to the animals who are often misunderstood or judged harshly, such as rats, pigs, and pitbulls, and wolves.

Black cats, as many of you know, have their own less-than-ideal reputation and stereotypes. Some people still believe they bring bad luck. Others simply overlook them when adopting. And while many people don’t mean harm, these ideas come from a long history of superstition and conditioning — the same kind of thinking that teaches us to see certain animals, or certain skin colors, as “good” or “bad.”

Brutus, a beloved member of the AllCompanion family who enjoys drop-in cat sitting visits.

The old “black cat crossing your path” superstition likely started in Europe hundreds of years ago. Back then, black cats were sometimes associated with witches and dark magic, simply because they were active at night and harder to see in the dark. But beliefs about black cats aren’t negative everywhere. In Japan, for example, they are seen as symbols of good fortune. In Scotland, a black cat arriving at your door is thought to bring prosperity. So much of what we believe about animals depends on the stories we’ve been told.

I used to carry a few of those stories myself until one summer changed everything. In 2017, while I was working as a wildlife technician, a teammate found a tiny, mewing kitten under a rock during one of the worst storms of the season. No one could take him in, so I did. He was fuzz ball of black, resin-covered fur, and so small I could hold him in one hand. I named him Ohanzee, which means “the shadow that comforts.”

My beloved kitto, Ohanzee, after he was rescued from the woods where he was abandoned.

From the start, he was playful, affectionate, endlessly curious. He lived up to his name as he was always near me, offering comfort and love. We moved cross-country together three times, and he was my constant companion through so many seasons of life. In the spring of 2025, he passed away suddenly from heart failure. It was devastating, but also clarifying. Ohanzee reminded me, every single day we were together, that our fellow animals aren’t here for us; they’re here with us. They have their own personalities, preferences, and ways of being. They teach, they comfort, and they live rich emotional lives of their own.

If black cats have ever been considered “bad luck,” I can tell you from experience that the opposite is true. Ohanzee was the best luck I ever had.

When we slow down and actually see other beings as individuals, not symbols or stereotypes, we start to unlearn the old ideas that separate us from them. And that shift can ripple outward into how we care for all animals, human and beyond.

If you would like to celebrate black cats today (and every day), here are a few ways to help make their lives a little brighter:

• Foster or adopt a black cat. They are often overlooked in shelters simply because of color bias or superstition.

• Share their stories. Post photos, tell friends about your experiences, and challenge myths when you hear them.

• Create art or media featuring black cats. Help others see their beauty and individuality.

• Support rescues and shelters. Donate, volunteer, or share adoption posts for black cats waiting for homes.

• Celebrate them in your daily work. If you are a pet care provider, highlight black cats on your social media or in your care stories. Let us show the world how wonderful they are!

  
  

So, if a black cat crosses your path today, take a moment to smile. You are not meeting bad luck. Instead, take a moment to admire and appreciate the beautifully dynamic being before you.

Here is to Ohanzee and the many black cats AllCompanion is lucky enough to care for, and to every shadow-colored friend still waiting to be seen for who they truly are.