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From the beginning of time, cats have played a lively role in everyday life. Although we love them dearly and welcome them into our homes and our arms, their reputation has not always been one of warm and cuddly companionship. Let's explore some of the associations—flattering and unkind—that have been assigned to our furry friends through the ages.

Cats have served as companions to kings as well as mousers to common folk. Throughout it all, they have maintained a mysterious balance of aloofness and affinity toward us. Cats' apparent ability to inhabit two worlds—ours, which is familiar, and theirs, which at first glance seems beyond our comprehension—may be a chief reason why people who are superstitious, fearful, or ignorant about cats believe some of the more negative connotations attributed to them.

Cats have many behavioral qualities that we consider part of their appeal and lovable character but that may generate fear and myths—good and bad—among those unfamiliar with cats' ways. Cats are nocturnal by nature. They are also unlike many other animals in that their direct stare is not a challenge, leaving many a human to be unnerved by a watching feline. Cats are surefooted and silent, which can be startling when one sneaks up on you.

Ancient civilizations revered their cats. Cats were excellent hunters and rid villages of varmints that could spread life-threatening plagues, such as rats, mice, and snakes. The death of the family cat was an occasion of mourning and cats were mummified and buried with their owners for companionship and protection. Norse mythology tells tales of the mistress of magic, Freyja, and her opulent chariot which was pulled by two grey cats. Some cultures believed the cunning cat drew power from the sun through slitted pupils and then used the fire stored in their now-glowing eyes as a beacon to help find and kill snakes at night. The ancient Egyptians elevated cats to deity status, bestowing upon them the title of Bast (or Bastet), goddess of the moon. This connection to the night has remained with them ever since.

Cats were not negatively associated with witches until the Celtic Druids were persecuted for their pagan practices. And then, it wasn't just cats and people who were massacred, but all nocturnal animals, including bats. These ancient cultures believed that witches could transform themselves into nocturnal creatures as a means of escape. The black cat was especially persecuted because the color black has nearly always drawn negative associations. The link between cats and witches eventually died out in Europe and most countries across the world, but lives on here in the United States primarily because of the tendency to present cats, witches, and bats together as denizens of the night who are part of the Halloween tradition.

Cat superstitions can be either positive or negative, depending on where you live. In the U.S., if a black cat crosses your path, it is considered bad luck. But in the U.K. and Japan, the same occurrence is thought to be a good omen. In Germany, a black cat that crosses one's path from right to left signals good luck (crossing from left to right portends the opposite). Americans are wary of any black cat that approaches us and then turns away. But in other countries that same behavior would bring good luck. Other cultures believe that a cat's sneeze, a cat appearing at a wedding, and dreaming of a white cat are harbingers of good fortune.

Superstitions about cats are likely to continue, given cats' seemingly mysterious nature. No matter what, cats will continue to be the beguiling, enigmatic, irresistible creatures they always have been.

On a personal note, we love black cats, just as we love cats of all shapes, sizes, gender, and color. Big or small, elaborately patterned or single-colored, cats are loving companions who enrich our lives with good luck, happiness, and numerous health benefits.