Originally in Britain and Europe, a black cat crossing one’s path was (and still is) considered good luck; however they were also seen by the church as associated with witches. Black cats (and sometimes, other animals of the same colour, or even white cats) were sometimes suspected of being the familiars of witches. The black cat was still usually seen as good luck; however, in the USA and parts of Europe, which saw witch hunts, the association with witches caused them to be considered as bad luck.

In places which saw few witch hunts, black cats retained their status as good luck, and are still considered as such in Japan, Britain, Ireland and Egypt.

However in Romanian and Indian culture, especially in the historical region of Moldavia in Romania and everywhere in India, one of the strongest superstitions still feared by many people is that black cats crossing their path represents bad luck, despite the fact that these regions were never affected by witch hunts or anti-paganism.The myth about a black cat being bad luck if one crosses paths, was made up during the times of the witch trials in Europe. Witch’s supposedly spread this lie to hide the truth that white cats are the true bearer of bad luck.