History Main / AllWitchesHaveCats

* ''WesternAnimation/{{DuckTales|1987}}'': The witch in "Home Sweet Homer" has a black cat. Recurring witch villain Magica [=DeSpell=], on the other hand, has a raven as familiar.

** [[WitchClassic Eda's]] roommate King is a small black-furred demon that looks ''[[CartoonCreature somewhat]]'' like a cat, but acts more like a dog and is often referred to as such.
** Amity eventually gets a white cat [[{{Familiar}} palisman]] named Ghost.

And doesn't that make [[JustForPun purrfect]] sense? Everyone knows that CatsAreMagic, not to mention [[CatsAreSuperior the best]], so of ''course'' any witch worth her [[FlyingBroomstick broomstick]] would own one, if not a whole clowder of cats. In fact, it's not uncommon for a witch to have such a [[KindheartedCatLover soft spot for her feline friends]] that she doubles as a CrazyCatLady, owning a dozen or more. Such witches are usually considered quirky and tend to be of the [[GoodWitchVersusBadWitch good variety]], the same if a witch owns cats with coat colors outside the stereotypical black. The cat is the most common {{Familiar}} for a witch by far, though sometimes the association is so strong that it's not that the witch ''owns'' a cat, but she ''is'' a cat or can ''transform into'' a cat at will!

* Also with Islam, where Cats are considered THE favored pet of the faith and routinely welcomed into mosques where they are [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF7pTSCP4UM petted and cherished]]. They are most certainly not regarded as witchy at all, with a story by Abu Hurairah (father of kittens) claiming that a woman mistreating a cat was a sign of her coming time in hell. A cat's affection toward you is a sign of Allah's favor. Cats do have some "magical" qualities in the faith due to being favored by Muhammad[[note]]who once took a nap, woke up to find a kitten curled up on the sleeve of his robe, and carefully cut off the sleeve rather than wake the little guy[[/note]] -- but these are holy attributes. [[note]]A Muslim journalist actually cited [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvHs_dEIIo8 this video]] as extremely significant in why journalist Jamal Khashoggi was feared by members of the Saudi royal family. He was absolutely serious.[[/note]] Cats are revered in Islam due to their hygiene and like in Judaism and Christianity, dogs are seen as unclean. In the pre-Islamic era, the Middle East was already fond of cats as the species had a long presence in the region (having been domesticated there) and served as pest control.
* Also with the ancient Egyptians. Cats were viewed as sacred animals and considered the physical embodiment of the goddess Bastet. Certain types were considered especially sacred and lived in the holiest part of temples. Cats were admired for catching vermin, fighting cobras, and for their gentleness towards their offspring. The changes in their pupils, similar to the moon's phases, and their giving off static electricity when brushed, were considered further proof of their relation to divinity. Rich people dressed their cats in jeweled collars, and they were fed and treated like royalty. To dream of a cat meant good fortune, and especially indicated a plentiful harvest. This changed the way Bastet was portrayed as she was originally depicted as a fierce lioness goddess of war but during the Twenty-Second Dynasty, Bastet worship changed from being a lioness deity into being predominantly a major cat deity of love and family. The city of Per-Bast was famous worldwide for its beautiful cat temple.

[[caption-width-right:350:''"[[Anime/KikisDeliveryService You'll think they'd never seen a girl and a cat on a broom before]]"''.[[note]]L - R, top to bottom: ''Literature/RoomOnTheBroom'', ''Franchise/{{Discworld}}'',\\

[[caption-width-right:350:L - R, top to bottom: ''Literature/RoomOnTheBroom'', ''Franchise/{{Discworld}}'',\\
''Series/TheWorstWitch'', and ''ComicBook/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'']]

* Averted in Myth/AfricanMythology, where witches rode dogs, or [[DependingOnTheWriter in some cases]], ''[[CoolPet hyenas]]''.

** The trope is also exaggerated in the episode "Cat Showdown", when Sabrina transforms herself into a cat to expose a blackmail scheme against one of the judges[[spoiler:, winning the cat show in the process]].

* ''VideoGame/SoulAtStake'': Gran "The Witch" has a black cat appear on her back whenever she [[BalefulPolymorph turns a gambler into a cat]].

And doesn't that make [[JustForPun purrfect]] sense? Everyone knows that CatsAreMagic, not to mention [[CatsAreSuperior the best]], so of ''course'' any witch worth her [[FlyingBroomstick broomstick]] would be owned by one, if not a whole clowder of cats. In fact, it's not uncommon for a witch to have such a [[KindheartedCatLover soft spot for her feline friends]] that she doubles as a CrazyCatLady, owning a dozen or more. Such witches are usually considered quirky and tend to be of the [[GoodWitchVersusBadWitch good variety]], the same if a witch owns cats with coat colors outside the stereotypical black. The cat is the most common {{Familiar}} for a witch by far, though sometimes the association is so strong that it's not that the witch ''owns'' a cat, but she ''is'' a cat or can ''transform into'' a cat at will!

* ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'': A few witch/warlock characters have cat familiars, which can assume human form (usually attractive and female). One episode indicates that transformed familiars automatically revert to their feline forms at midnight, but this isn't touched upon in other episodes. Also, as seen in the opening credits, moments after Darrin kisses Samantha, she transforms into a cat and back into her human form before the smoke comes out of the stove.

** The trope is also exaggerated in the episode "Cat Showdown", when Sabrina transforms into a cat to expose a blackmail scheme[[spoiler:, winning the cat show in the process]].

* ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'': Sabrina has Salem Saberhagen, a warlock punished for trying to take over the world with a sentence of one hundred years as a black cat. Technically, he belongs to Aunt Hilda, one of his followers, who was punished with having to take care of him. The trope is also exaggerated in the episode "Cat Showdown", when Sabrina transforms into a cat to expose a blackmail scheme[[spoiler:, winning the cat show in the process]].

* ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'': Sabrina has Salem Saberhagen, a warlock punished for trying to take over the world with a sentence of one hundred years as a black cat. Technically, he belongs to Aunt Hilda, one of his followers, who was punished with having to take care of him.

* ''Film/HocusPocus'': The witch sisters transform one of the heroes, Binx, into a black cat ForTheEvulz. By the time of the main narrative, [[InvertedTrope he's their sworn enemy]].

** [[spoiler:Hermione is accidentally ''transformed into'' a cat in ''Chamber of Secrets'', thanks to the Polyjuice Potion when she thought she took a sample of Millicent Bulstrode's hair off her robe during their dueling club match so she, Harry and Ron can infiltrate the Slytherin common room, but grabbed a cat hair instead.]]

* ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'': A few witch/warlock characters have cat familiars, which can assume human form (usually attractive and female). One episode indicates that transformed familiars automatically revert to their feline forms at midnight, but this isn't touched upon in other episodes.

And doesn't that make [[JustForPun purrfect]] sense? Everyone knows that CatsAreMagic, not to mention [[CatsAreSuperior the best]], so of ''course'' any witch worth her [[FlyingBroomstick broomstick]] would be owned by one, if not a whole clowder of cats. In fact, it's not uncommon for a witch to have such a [[KindheartedCatLover soft spot for her feline friends]] that she doubles as a CrazyCatLady, owning a dozen or more. Such witches are usually considered quirky and tend to be of the [[GoodWitchVersusBadWitch good variety]], the same if a witch owns cats with coat colors outside the stereotypical black. The cat is the most common {{Familiar}} for a witch by far, though sometimes the association is so strong that it's not that the witch ''owns'' a cat, but she ''is'' a cat or can ''transform'' into a cat at will!

And doesn't that make [[JustForPun purrfect]] sense? Everyone knows that CatsAreMagic, not to mention [[CatsAreSuperior the best]], so of ''course'' any witch worth her [[FlyingBroomstick broomstick]] would be owned by one, if not a whole clowder of cats. In fact, it's not uncommon for a witch to have such a [[KindheartedCatLover soft spot for her feline friends]] that she doubles as a CrazyCatLady, owning a dozen or more. Such witches are usually considered quirky and tend to be of the [[GoodWitchVersusBadWitch good variety]], the same if a witch owns cats with coat colors outside the stereotypical black. The cat is the most common {{Familiar}} for a witch by far, though sometimes the association is so strong that it's not that the witch ''owns'' a cat, but she ''is'' a cat!

* Averted in ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'', the two witches Chlorhydris and Hogatha have birds; a toucan and a vulture respectively. Played straight with the warlock Gargamel and his cat Azrael. Also averted with Gargamel's mother, a witch that actually hates cats.

* WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents: Timmy travels back in time to get a picture of the Dimmsdale's founder, all the while evading the local witch hunter Alden Bitterroot. As he looks for a witch that's disrupting Cosmo and Wanda's magic, he discovers that Alden Bitterroot is a witch, as he owns a cat, and he floats off the ground.

* On ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer,'' Catherine Madison kept a black cat to guard her spell books.
Willow and Tara get [[FormallyNamedPet Miss Kitty Fantastico]]. Willow first thought that they were invoking this trope, but Tara admits that she just likes cats. Miss Kitty Fantastico only appears a few times before [[AbsentAnimalCompanion apparently succumbing to a crossbow accident]].