Don’t panic just because you see a black cat crossing your path. As long as you don’t trip over it in the dark, it’s unlikely to bring you bad luck. Black cat myths are found in many of the cultures across the globe. But, depending on where you travel you’re just as likely to be told that they will bring you good fortune as put you in mortal terror.

Why are black cat superstitions so common? In part, it’s because cats are so common. Species of cats are found all over the world. Cats are night hunters mostly because of their amazing vision. Night vision allows a black cat to silently and nearly invisibly stalk its prey in the dark, and this may contribute to why there are so many stories of scary black cats.

Still, black cat superstitions are not uniformly scary. Often, the same type of activity will lead to a positive belief in one culture and people shouting, “Black cats? Bad luck!” in another. For example, in many western countries there is… Register/Login to read more