Why do witches have Black cats?

Most Modern Witches don't have black cats. A real Witches' familiar can be an animal of any kind and any color. The black cat is a stereotype, but there is a true association with black cats and Witchcraft however. Many cultures have superstitions about black cats, often ascribing either "good luck" or "bad luck" to them. Folk Magick teaches that the black color is a strong antecedent for magickal properties. Black cats have played a major role for centuries in folklore, superstition, and mythology. Black cats in the middle ages were believed to be witches' familiars, and some people even believed them to be witches' incarnate. Many of these old superstitions about black cats exist to this day. (Here is one you may be familiar with: In Yorkshire, England, it may be lucky to own a black cat, but it is unlucky to have one cross your path. Many People [including Pagans!] maintain this superstition to this day.])

Black Cats and Witches

Black cats have long been associated with witches and witchcraft to the extent that during October, the Month of Halloween, black cats and witches are favorite icons used for costumes, home decor, and party themes. This trend is so embedded in modern society that we've forgotten that the modern holiday we celebrate as Halloween has ancient beginnings as well as names: Samhein (pronounced Sow-en) and All Hallows' Eve. Despite these religious beginnings of Halloween, old beliefs about black cats and witches still play a large part in this holiday.

Black Cats as Witches' Familiars

It was largely in the Middle Ages that the black cat became affiliated with evil. Because cats are nocturnal and roam at night, they were believed to be supernatural servants of witches, or even witches themselves. Folklore has it that if a witch becomes human (but, hmmmm... aren't real Witches already human?), her black cat will no longer reside in her house. Some believe that black cats are witches in disguise, or witches reborn (this of course, is not always necessarily the view that a Witch would have.... but many Witches do believe in reincarnation of soul energy.) Others believe black cats are witches' familiars (beings that aid witches in performing their craft)(This is the view an average Witch would have.) Not all familiars were black cats though; some were cats of other colors, dogs, pigs, or other animals. For several centuries "witches" were rounded up, tried, and killed by burning or other violent methods; often their familiars were killed along with them.