History Main / CatsAreMagic

Usually a magical cat [[AmplifiedAnimalAptitude will be intelligent]], but even non-sapient cats can have magical powers, with some even have EvilDetectingDog capabilities. Wittingly or not, cats may even be using their abilities to keep up TheMasquerade. Despite all this, cats are not often BondCreatures, except maybe to witches in the [[LighterAndSofter fluffiest]] of works. This is perhaps due to their reputations for being aloof and independent. This trope may mean a cat is an EvilSorcerer if used in a story where CatsAreMean.

** Cats are also one of the few things from the mortal world that fairies are genuinely terrified of, largely due to being very good and eager hunters of small prey and most fairies falling neatly within the range of creatures that cats consider food. At one point, Harry gets out of an ambush laid for him by a band of fairy warriors when [[spoiler:Molly conjures an illusion of dozens of cats coming out of every alley, shadow and corner, sending the fairies into a hasty retreat]].

* ''WebAnimation/TheLegendOfLuoXiaoHei's'' titular character is an Elfin that takes the form of either a small black cat or a LittleBitBeastly child with cat ears. Xiao Hei can communicate telepathically, fly, split his tail into {{Animal Eye Sp|y}}ies, and teleport using them. Other Elfin take on BeastFolk proportions, with the recurring feline ones being Polao, Niepa, and [[Animation/TheLegendOfHei the movie]]'s Feng Xi and Tian Hu.

* ''Website/{{Google}}'': [[https://www.google.com/doodles/halloween-2016 this 2016 Halloween game]] and [[https://www.google.com/doodles/halloween-2020 its sequel from 2020]], both starring a black cat wizard.
* Chuchu from ''WebVideo/CreamHeroes'' is occasionally cast this way. In ''Stranger Cat'' she uses her psychic powers to shut the monster (DD wearing a headdress) in the closet. In ''Welcome to Kitty Tarot Shop'' she is cast as the fortune teller, complete with a wizard's hat.
** ''Kittisaurus Villains'' outright states cats have special powers such as super duper roars, megaton punches and waterproof barriers. However, in one episode it is revealed using them comes at a price. (In the case of TT, it comes at the cost of her voice- at least until the finale.)

* In the second season of ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'', [[spoiler:Lillian]]'s cat [[spoiler: Napoleon]] becomes her familiar after her [[spoiler: Heart of Earth]] powers manifest, the most prominent effect on him being his ability to speak after she wishes they could a have a conversation together. Before this he was just a regular cat [[spoiler: given to Cornelia by Will]], so he wasn't ''inherently'' magical. Later, he gets the ability to change into a seven-foot tall cat monster [[spoiler: after becoming a Regent of Earth]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'', the {{Catfolk}} of TheEmpire of Thundera owe their dominance in a WorldOfFunnyAnimals to possession of the magical Sword of Omens containing the AmuletOfConcentratedAwesome, the Eye of Thundera, and their ChurchMilitant [[TheOrder order]] of Clerics are also KungFuWizard[=/=]{{Magic Knight}}s that possesses magical SuperSpeed and SuperReflexes.
* In all of his incarnations, WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat navigates a surreal, near-magical animated world with no problem, aided by his smartness, his status as an InvincibleHero, and his nigh-unquenchable stock of AppliedPhlebotinum.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'' special "My Smurfy Valentine", Azrael has the power to lead Chlorhydris through the Forest of Poison Thorns in order to get to a special magical wishing well because he was born with royal blood in his veins. Surprisingly, this turns out to be true, as in Season 9's "Mummy Dearest", the time-lost Smurfs meet his distant ancestor, the cat pharaoh Azra.

* Fireball Cat from ''WesternAnimation/{{Wishfart}}'' is an anthropomorphic cat with near-omnipotent magical knowledge and powers who virtually all the other characters (who themselves are all different types of magical beings) look to for advice.
* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': Klarion the Witch Boy has a cat named Teekl who serves as his familiar and anchors him to the Earthly plane. If Teekl is harmed or killed in any way, Klarion will lose his anchor and will be shunted back to his home dimension.

%% Image replaced per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1300920860081074900&page=1
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* Kuroneko-Sama from the anime ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'', the black cat randomly appears across the desert planet Gunsmoke where our hero's show up. FanWank is that Kuroneko-Sama is {{God}}.

* Happy, Carla, Panther Lily, and all the Exceed (a race of talking winged cats) from ''Manga/FairyTail'' apply. It turns out that they're actually all from [[AlternateUniverse Edolas]], where they were the only creatures that naturally had magical ability.
* Gatomon from ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' possesses the attack "cat's eye hypnotism" and is rather mystic in nature.
* In the manga ''Manga/{{Leviathan}}'', cats are mentioned in passing to be able to see spirits.
* The cats in ''Manga/{{ARIA}}'', especially the Mars variety. And then there's [[MegaNeko Cait Sith]].

* Cats in the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' verse are one of the two animals we've seen used as familiars, and are typically more magically oriented than the more physical oriented wolf familiars. In fact, all of the known cat familiars in the main continuity have served as magic tutors, with Rynith teaching Fate, and the Lieze twins teaching Chrono.
* Kirara of ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'' is a "[[BakenekoAndNekomata nekomata]]", a cat that has lived for a very long time and has developed a split tail and magic powers. In Kirara's case, she can grow to a giant size (large and strong enough to easily carry three full-grown people), fly, and is often WreathedInFlames in that form. She is also notably more intelligent than your average animal, though not quite sapient.
* Toyed with in ''Anime/FatePrototype'''s prequel ''Fragments of Pale and Silver'': [[spoiler: Ayaka's black cat is actually [[MasterofDisguise Servant Assassin]] under a false form.]]
* ''Manga/MyRoommateIsACat'' is a mundane SliceOfLife that is occasionally told from a cat's perspective. In one episode, the cat turns out to be able to see [[spoiler:the ghosts of her owner's recently-deceased parents]].
* A strange spin on this trope is present in the ''Anime/TokyoMewMew'' anime. It's about [[MagicalGirl magical girls]] who get their powers from being injected with the DNA of endangered animals (after being chosen specially by the Earth) and they can ''all'' do magic. But their leader Ichigo, who was injected with DNA from an Iriomote Wildcat, is [[spoiler: the most powerful: she's the only one who can use the Mew Aqua rod. Not even Zakuro (the wolf girl) is as strong as she is in the end.]]
* In ''Manga/BlackClover'' this is literal with Vanessa's Red Thread of Fate magic manifesting itself in the form of her cat Rouge, manipulating fate to favor Vanessa's companions.
* ''Manga/QueenMillennia'': Yayoi repeatedly describes her pet cat as "very versatile". It somehow intimidates a low-ranking Millennial Thief from sniping Hajime, sending doing so would somehow be too dangerous.

* In ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'', as ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve means that AllMythsAreTrue, the goddess Bast exists and governs the well-being of cats. Cats are also implied to have once ruled the world in an alternate timeline. They could rule again if they all got together and dreamed it into existence but given the difficulty in getting any number of cats to all do the same thing at once, that's not likely to ever happen.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

* ''Film/Constantine2005'' has John use a cat to enter the underworld, because they're "half-in, half-out anyway".
* The cats from ''Film/Catwoman2004'' resurrect the dead Catwoman and give her cat-like abilities.
* Although it's more ambiguous, cats also seem to have a connection to Selina Kyle's rebirth as Catwoman in ''Film/BatmanReturns''
* The three stories in ''Film/CatsEye'' are tied together by a wandering street cat who is on a journey to save a little girl from a troll-like creature, after he received a psychic signal of some sort.

%%* ''Film/CatsEye'': The cat definitely applies here.

* In Creator/MichaelMoorcock's {{Literature/Corum}} series his sidekick, Jhary-a-Conel has a sidekick of his own, a winged cat with whom he has a telepathic link.
* Cats in the ''Literature/LiadenUniverse'' tend to be at the least ''uncanny'' if not outright magical. Merlin, however, is a cat owned by Clan Korval, who appears to somehow be responsible for an unrealizing dramliza (space wizard) teleporting lightyears, puts his palm print in the house files, and finds and invades the headquarters of the big bads.

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' games have the Meowgician class of enemies.
* Felineko of ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'' are stated to have a gift with magic, possessing both interest and talent.
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening'': Ser Pounce-A-Lot, a cat that can be given as a gift to Anders and when used as an item in combat can revive fallen party members.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':

* ''VideoGame/{{Submachine}}'': The game's backstory reveals that [[MysteriousBacker Murtagh]] discovered a cat with the apparent power to move between the layers of reality that he named Einstein, and wondered later if perhaps all cats can do this.
* The Cheshire cat from ''VideoGame/AliceIsDead'', an unholy amalgamation of a little girl and a dimensionally unstable cat.
* The magic store in ''VideoGame/DokaponKingdom'' is run by a cat dressed up in wizard robes named Crysta. Granted, he's never actually shown to have magical powers...
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' you can find a cat in Winhill that can talk, despite this not jiving with the rest of the setting.
* Hermeowne from ''VideoGame/NekoAtsume'' is a little black cat named after [[Franchise/HarryPotter Hermione Granger]] and sports a little witch hat and cape. Her memento is a bottle of magic powder, that when tapped, summons cats to an empty yard.
* A [[GameMod fan-added]] race for ''VideoGame/{{Starbound}}'' is the [[IntelligentGerbil Tiknass'uut]], which look exactly like normal cats but are described as thus:
-->"As a telepathic, telekinetic, and ancient species with a highly advanced society, they are viewed as sages and their [[ClarkesThirdLaw technology is often mistaken for magic]]"

* That's pretty much a given when your name is "[[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Yuumi]], [[Main/ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Magical Cat]]".
* [[spoiler: Sissel]] from ''VideoGame/GhostTrick'' can avert people's deaths via time-travelling, set inanimate objects in motion and by the end of the game gets an unlimited lifespan.
* The Alfiq is a sub-breed ('furstock') of [[CatFolk Khajiit]] in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' that looks exactly like a housecat. But they are as intelligent as any Khajiit, and their physical deficiency is compensated with terrifying magical prowess.
* In ''VideoGame/LonesomeVillage'', Sabrina, one of the witches who live in the forest, is a black cat.

* ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'': All cats are magical. They are the only mammals who are 100% immune to the Plague, and moreover, they can sense if somebody caught it or if there's a troll, beast or giant in the vicinity. In the AfterTheEnd setting of webcomic, this makes them probably the most valuable element of society. They are sorted into three grades: Grade C cats are untrained, but still invaluable in catching vermin beasts that could kill an entire town if left unchecked. Grade B cats have the training necessary to not only hunt vermin beasts but also to dispose of the corpses properly and alert humans to the problem. Finally, Grade A cats are bred for their jobs and trained from birth; they have more authority than most soldiers, and are able to both identify trolls at long distances and communicate this to humans quite effectively. The main cat featured in this story, Kitty, was a stray found in the Silent World, who provided some comfort and troll detection to the party. [[spoiler:Him becoming scared of, and subsequently attacking, Tuuri was the second sign that she had gotten infected with the Rash.]] In between adventures he received sufficient enough training to be given a Grade B.
* ''Webcomic/ErrantStory'' has the flying black cat, Ellis. He's extremely resilient to offensive magic and can also talk... [[DeadpanSnarker which is not necessarily a good thing]].

* ''Webcomic/{{Precocious}}'': {{Downplayed}}. Yvette makes dolls of her classmates and occasionally attempts to collect locks of hair, but there's no indication that her voodoo works.
* ''Webcomic/FreakingRomance'': Played with in. While Zelan can't see Zylith, for whatever reason, he can see her cat, Mr. Purrfect, and has even "adopted" him. [[spoiler: Subverted, since it's revealed Zelan has been able to see Zylith all along.]]

* ''Webcomic/NekoTheCat'': The stepmother reveals that her cats [[spoiler: are what allowed her to live on after her own suicide, and are what allow her to get vengeance on those she blames for it]]. The art implies that this connection exists between them because the cats [[spoiler: ate her]].
* DownplayedTrope in ''Webcomic/SwordsAndSausages''. Kiela is an [[BeastMan anthropomorphic cat]] who studies magic and lives in a WorldOfFunnyAnimals with a HeroicFantasy atmosphere. Her city has a BanOnMagic (partially because of her own actions), which forces her to hide the true extent of her sorcerous powers.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{ThunderCats|2011}}'' The {{Catfolk}} of TheEmpire of Thundera owe their dominance in a WorldOfFunnyAnimals to possession of the magical Sword of Omens containing the AmuletOfConcentratedAwesome, the Eye of Thundera, and their ChurchMilitant [[TheOrder order]] of Clerics are also KungFuWizard[=/=]{{Magic Knight}}s that possesses magical SuperSpeed and SuperReflexes.

->''"For the cat is cryptic, and close to strange things which men cannot see. He is the soul of antique Aegyptus, and bearer of tales from forgotten cities in Meroe and Ophir. He is the kin of the jungle’s lords, and heir to the secrets of hoary and sinister Africa. The Sphinx is his cousin, and he speaks her language; but he is more ancient than the Sphinx, and remembers that which she hath forgotten."''

* ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' has Shamisen, the calico cat. He (male calico cats being extremely rare) originally started as an ordinary cat, but was briefly given the ability of speech. This was because Haruhi believes witches need magical cats, and this belief [[RealityWarper altered reality]] and made Shamisen magical. She never finds out that Shamisen could talk, but was originally a little disappointed that he wasn't a black cat.

* The ''Ghatti's Tale'' books feature cats with psychic powers who bond with humans. Humans partnered with cats act as judicial arbiters because of the felines' ability to "mindwalk". The ghatti, however, are noted as being natives of their planet and distinct from "normal" Earth-origin cats despite sharing many similarities. (They're similar enough to hybridize, and for young ghatti to be mistaken for [fully grown] domestic cats. Hint: if your moggy tops 40 pounds and starts to talk, maybe it isn't what you think it is.)

* The ''Ghatti's Tale'' books feature cats with psychic powers who bond with humans. Humans partnered with cats act as arbiters because of the felines' ability to "mindwalk". The Ghatti, however, are noted as being natives of their planet and distinct from "normal" Earth-origin cats despite sharing many similarities. (They're similar enough to hybridize, and for young ghatti to be mistaken for [fully grown] domestic cats. Hint: if your moggy tops 40 pounds and starts to talk, maybe it isn't what you think it is.)

** In ''Literature/DarkLordOfDerkholm'', Dirk's cats, which he bred to be invisible, are also inexplicably unable to be trapped for long, they always find their way out, even from magical barriers.

* The cats of ''VideoGame/FallenLondon'' can talk and know many secrets. Then there's the mysterious Starveling Cat, which is mostly referenced in cautionary rhymes and seems to be a sort of bogeyman (bogeycat?).

* ''WebAnimation/TheLegendOfLuoXiaoHei's'' titular character is an Elfin that takes the form of either a small black cat or a LittleBitBeastly child with cat ears. Xiao Hei can communicate telepathically, fly, split his tail into {{Animal Eye Sp|y}}ies, and teleport using them. Other Elfin take on BeastFolk proportions, with the recurring feline ones being Polao, Niepa, and [[Animation/TheLegendOfHei the movie]]'s Feng Xi.

* ''WebAnimation/TheLegendOfLuoXiaoHei's'' titular character is an Elfin that takes the form of either a small black cat or a LittleBitBeastly child with cat ears. Xiao Hei can communicate telepathically, fly, split his tail into {{Animal Eye Sp|y}}ies, and teleport using them. He's the only cat of note that can do this, though--all other cats are ordinary.

* ''Website/{{Google}}'': [[https://www.google.com/doodles/halloween-2016 this 2016 Halloween game]] and [[https://www.google.com/doodles/halloween-2020 it's sequel from 2020]], both starring a black cat wizard.

* ''Film/HocusPocus'': Binx, a teenager who [[BalefulPolymorph was transformed]] into a black cat by a trio of vengeful witches. He has the ability to speak, and he is effectively immortal. No, he doesn't have nine lives, he just can't die [[spoiler:until the witches who cursed him are resurrected and subsequently die themselves]].

* Salem, from ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch''. He was originally a warlock, but was [[BalefulPolymorph transformed into a cat]] as punishment for trying to take over the world.

Because AllWitchesHaveCats, cats are almost certain to make an appearance in a work with [[WitchClassic witches]], and more often than not, these felines will possess unusual abilities. Even in media without witchcraft, cats alone will sometimes be able to perform supernatural feats while other animals will be [[{{Muggle}} extremely mundane]]. If any one animal has [[IntellectualAnimal the ability to be understood by humans]] or to [[TalkingAnimal use human speech fluently]], chances are that it's a cat. A person will often choose the form of a cat when using [[VoluntaryShapeshifting magic to disguise him]] or herself [[{{Animorphism}} as an animal]]. Similarly, [[KarmicTransformation using transformation as a form of punishment]] often results in a [[ForcedTransfomation feline transformation]]. Sometimes their magic might appear in a FollowTheWhiteRabbit form.

Because AllWitchesHaveCats, cats are almost certain to make an appearance in a work with [[WitchClassic witches]], and more often than not, these felines will possess unusual abilities. Even in media without witchcraft, cats alone will sometimes be able to perform supernatural feats while other animals will be [[{{Muggle}} extremely mundane]]. If any one animal has [[IntellectualAnimal the ability to be understood by humans]] or to [[TalkingAnimal use human speech fluently]], chances are that it's a cat. A person will often choose the form of a cat when using [[VoluntaryShapeshifting magic to disguise him]] or herself [[{{Animorphism}} as an animal]]. Similarly, [[KarmicTransformation using transformation as a form of punishment]] often results in a [[BalefulPolymorph feline transformation]]. Sometimes their magic might appear in a FollowTheWhiteRabbit form.

* Gatomon from ''Anime/{{Digimon|Adventure}}'' possessed the attack "cat's eye hypnotism" and she was rather mystic in nature.

* Kirara of ''Manga/InuYasha'' is a "{{nekomata}}", a cat that has lived for a very long time and has developed a split tail and magic powers. In Kirara's case, she can grow to a giant size (large and strong enough to easily carry three full-grown people), fly, and is often WreathedInFlames in that form. She is also notably more intelligent than your average animal, though not quite sapient.

* In ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'', where ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve means that AllMythsAreTrue, the goddess Bast exists and governs the well-being of cats. Cats are also implied to have once ruled the world in an alternate timeline. They could rule again if they all got together and dreamed it into existence but given the difficulty in getting any number of cats to all do the same thing at once, that's not likely to ever happen.

* Similar to that, ''Film/{{Constantine}}'' had John use a cat to enter the underworld, because they're "half-in, half out anyway".
* The cats from ''Film/Catwoman2004'', the movie. They resurrected the dead Catwoman and gave her cat-like abilities.

* Spark from ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'' is a cat who can talk, which causes some people to believe that he's possessed.
* Rose, who is arguably the most magical of the four kids in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', prototyped her dead cat Jasper to her kernelsprite, and also made a genetic sequence using the letters MEOW (instead of the typical [[StealthPun GCAT]]) which can be spliced with other DNA to create godlike entities.
** After the universe is rebooted, we meet an ''actual'' [=GCat=], likely made with a BARK sequence. The G, of course, stands for God, since, as a First Guardian, [=GodCat=] is pretty much omnipotent.

* Poe from [[http://nekothekitty.smackjeeves.com/ Neko the Kitty Comics]] can speak English, levitate, and has minor telekinetic powers. Explained in [[http://nekothekitty.smackjeeves.com/comics/979494/751-wait-what/ this strip]]: Poe was accidentally sucked into an ethereal conduit when the witch Julia was attempting to summon a lesser demons. Demons are unable to possess cats, so when they manifested together in the summoning circle the demon died, leaving Poe with his magical abilities.
* The two [[OccultDetective specialists]] in ''Webcomic/SpareKeysForStrangeDoors'' own a cat (called "Fat Cat") who can see the ghost of Andrew Cole in the storyline "After Death Hang-Ups". And be aggrieved that he can't sit in Andrew's lap.
* The kittens in ''Webcomic/TooMuchInformation2005'', though the majority of the human cast isn't aware of it. They can see ghosts, angels, and demons, and Shinobi is responsible in part for rescuing Ace from an African goddess.
* {{Downplayed}} in ''Webcomic/{{Precocious}}''. Yvette makes dolls of her classmates and occasionally attempts to collect locks of hair, but there's no indication that her voodoo works.
* Possibly played with in ''Webcomic/FreakingRomance''. While Zelan can't see Zylith, for whatever reason, he can see her cat, Mr. Purrfect, and has even "adopted" him. [[spoiler: Subverted, since it's revealed Zelan has been able to see Zylith all along.]]
* Cats in ''Webcomic/UndeadFriend'' seem able to see ghosts.

* ''Film/HocusPocus'': Binx, a teenager who [[BalefulPolymorph was transformed]] into a black cat by a trio of vengeful witches. He has the ability to speak, and he is effectively immortal. No, he doesn't have nine lives, he just can't die.

* In ''ComicBook/TheSandman'', where ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve means that AllMythsAreTrue, the goddess Bast exists and governs the well-being of cats. Cats are also implied to have once ruled the world in an alternate timeline. They could rule again if they all got together and dreamed it into existence, but given the difficulty in getting any number of cats to all do the same thing at once, that's not likely to ever happen.

* In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, the first [[CatFolk Cat People]], were two house cats named Flavius and Helene who were transformed into feline humanoids by Ebrok and taught the mystic arts. Flavius and Helene then used their own mystic knowledge to create more Cat People.

* Cats in ''TabletopGame/TheWitcherGameOfImagination'' can't be fooled by illusions. And their favourite spots to lie on? [[PlaceOfPower Places of Power]]. This allows to use them in different creative ways and novice mages often have their pet cats.
* ''TabletopGame/TheSecretsOfCats'' is a tabletop game using the [[TabletopGame/{{FUDGE}} Fate Core]] game system in which the PlayerCharacters are magical cats who defend humanity from ghosts, monsters, and sometimes other humans.
* ''TabletopGame/AnimaBeyondFantasy'', where cats have supernatural vision meaning they can see spirits and the like.
* In ''TabletopGame/MonarchiesOfMau'' [[UpliftedAnimal uplifted]] cats have an innate ability to absorb new powers from [[HumanitysWake human]] relics they've studied and broken, despite magic canonically being a case of ClarkesThirdLaw. On rare occasions a cat who's absorbed a lot of magic can pass on some of it to their kittens.
* In the fairytale-flavored world of ''TabletopGame/GURPSThaumatologyAlchemicalBaroque'', the trope is played with but, strictly speaking, averted. Cats in this setting are mostly much like the natural creatures of our world, apart from being perhaps a little more intelligent and longer lived, and often having a limited sense for the supernatural. However, some are ''significantly'' smarter, may well even be able to talk, and may have luck-based advantages; on the other hand, these are still entirely natural creatures -- just odd ones.

* Cats are believed in some cultures and traditions to be able to see spirits and ghosts.