Cuteness Alert: Black Cat Love and Luck

Black Cat Love and Luck

There is something quietly subversive about the black cat’s reputation arc. Once cast as an omen, a shadow slipping across thresholds, it gradually wandered into a very different role.

By the early 20th century, black cats were not merely redeemed. They were adored and considered lucky especially in the U.K. and France where these postcards are from.

I’ve translated them into English.

From the 1890s through the 1920s, they appeared everywhere. Postcards, advertisements, seasonal greetings, small tokens exchanged between friends and lovers. And rather than lurking in the margins, they took center stage.

Dressed in hats. Carrying parasols or lucky charms. Meeting one another with a kind of playful intention.

These were not symbols of fear. They were symbols of companionship, flirtation, and a softer kind of magic.

And perhaps that’s the thread tying it all together. Here is another trio of luck because good luck comes in threes. And some bonus black cats!bonus black cats!

from vintage postcards to present-day realities. The black cat has always lived in that in-between space: feared and adored, overlooked and mythologized, solitary and deeply relational.

PUBLIC NOTICE: KITTEN SEASON IS HERE

This vintage illustration from France says small cats for sale. It reminds me it wasn’t that long ago that cats were sold or given away to dubious “good homes” instead of adopted.

As temperatures rise, so does the number of kittens born in shelters and on the streets. While black cats once symbolized luck in art and folklore, today they are often overlooked in adoption settings.

Spaying and neutering remains one of the most powerful ways to prevent overpopulation and ensure that every cat, black, tabby, or otherwise has a chance at a safe, loving home.

A little practical magic: support local rescues, consider adoption, and help rewrite the story once again in favor of these quietly enchanting creatures.

Cat Love Tarot

And I couldn’t resist adding some cat love tarot using a vintage illustration of two cats with intertwined tails. The two of cups is the classic card of union, attraction and harmony.