Black cats’ reputation for bringing bad luck couldn’t be further from the truth. “Honestly, they are some of the most loving, connected cats you will ever find,” Mello says, noting that when she communicates with them, they come across as very grateful. “It’s almost like they seem to understand not everyone likes them and they’re not looked at kindly,” she adds.
Rather than being bad luck, in fact, Mello says they can signify good luck, or that good things are coming to you. She also notes that she’s found people who are drawn to black cats “tend to be more empathetic, more understanding, more compassionate, and that in turn can equate to what [black cats] mean.”
After all, cats in general have been revered as a symbol of the divine feminine, curiosity, and intelligence, and more recently, resistance to authority. In terms of the color black, Mello notes, we associate black robes with clergy and the word of God, and the color itself with grounding and protection—so why should black cats wind up with such a distorted reputation?
For these reasons, Mello says black cats can better be thought of as symbols of good luck, grace, wisdom, protection, and safety.
