Meaning of Cats in Witchcraft

From the serpent to the crow, many animals made their home in the popular imagination of witchy lore.

But one stands out above all others as the universal familiar of witches:  the cat. 

Why?  What is it about this slinky, mysterious creature that makes it such a legendary companion of the sorceress?

Why are cats associated with witches?

The Greek goddess Hekate is one of the earliest symbols of a witch and her cat.  Goddess of magic and the moon, Hekate’s kinship with cats is legendary.

Later, during the Witch Trials of Medieval Europe, the cat endured an especially strange reputation for shape-shifting from witch to feline and back again.

And filtering on down to the Halloween bins at your local retailer stocked full of trinkets picturing the cat seated next to her witchy companion, the legend persists.

Here’s what cats have to teach witches (and everyone else, really).  

They know how to keep a secret.

Did someone break into the bag of potato chips and scatter them all over the living room?

The parrot will rat you out.

The dog will rat himself out.

But the cat?  The cat ain’t no snitch.

As in the saying “To will, to dare, and to be silent,” the cat has a seemingly inherent understanding that the more you leave unsaid, the more potent your magical power.

Cats are comfortable as outcasts.

We’ll all, at some point in our lives, play the role of the outcast.  Sometimes, we deserve it.  Sometimes, we don’t. 

Either way, in these seasons of life, I encourage you all to look to the cat for guidance.

The cat has been venerated as sacred.  But the cat has also been cast out of the home, eyed with suspicion by society, and, at various times in history, condemned by the Church as the incarnation of the Devil himself.

Guess what?  The cat didn’t care either way.

She simply continued about her business.  Milling around Medieval Europe and killing the rats that infested the population with the Bubonic plague.  No one thanked her, and she didn’t need thanks.

They are masters of grace & dignity.

Simultaneously earthy and elevated, the cat’s mythical grace is a reminder that when you’re falling, it’s best to land on your feet.

Call on the cat when you’re feeling frazzled or your words get ahead of you.  For the cat is always the picture of dignity.

(Except when she’s wet.   That’s always a mess.  But no one’s perfect).

Cats are mysterious.

A cat’s eyes betray nothing.  They are neither empty nor brimming with emotions.

Much like royalty, they know the value of containing themselves, revealing their true nature selectively and with wisdom.

Their mystery gives them a certain allure that I, for one, long to emulate.

This obscure aura connects them to the Veil Between Worlds, anointing them as a messenger from this realm to the next.  

They’re fierce.

Despite the aforementioned grace, dignity, and mystique, if you mess with a cat, you’re gonna get messed right back.

And that, my friends, is a neat little trick.

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Sources & References

Contributors

Article Author: Lumina Indigo (Moody Moons)

• Over 20 years of experience with the modern pagan community
• Professional tarot reader and kitchen witch culinary wizard
• Founder of Moody Moons (established 2012)
• Specializes in in-depth research and reporting on modern spirituality topics

Article Reviewed by: Tina Caro

• 10+ years of professional spellcasting experience
• Certified yoga instructor, divination expert, and astrologer
• Works with 1000+ clients worldwide
• Founder and owner of Magickal Spot

Claims with Published Sources

• Hekate as Greek goddess of magic and the moon with legendary kinship to cats: Classical mythology sources and Hekate studies.
• Cats and shape-shifting associations during Medieval Witch Trials of Europe: Historical documentation on witch trial records and medieval folklore.
• Cats as familiar animal companions in witchy lore and legend: Contemporary pagan practice documentation and historical witchcraft studies.
• The saying “To will, to dare, and to be silent” as witchcraft principle: Contemporary Wiccan philosophy and magical practice documentation.
• Cats’ connection to the Veil Between Worlds as messengers: Contemporary pagan and Wiccan spiritual philosophy.
• Pope Gregory IX’s Vox in Rama and cats’ association with Devil worship during Medieval period: Historical documentation of medieval Church condemnation of cats (historycollection.com reference).
• Cats’ practical role in controlling rat populations and preventing Bubonic plague in Medieval Europe: Historical and epidemiological documentation.
• Cats’ status as sacred in various cultures and time periods: Archaeological and anthropological documentation of cat veneration.

Claims Based on Personal Practice & Experience

• Observations on cat behavior reflecting magical principles (Lumina Indigo, 20+ years pagan community experience)
• Personal philosophy on calling on cats for grace and dignity during frazzled times (professional practitioner perspective)
• Interpretation of cats’ mysterious nature and connection to the mystical realms (practitioner spiritual insight)
• Understanding of cats’ fierce independence and self-sufficiency (personal observation and interpretation)
• Recognition of cats as embodying balance between earthly and elevated qualities (professional practitioner wisdom)
• Observations on cats’ inherent understanding of secrecy and discretion in magical practice (personal experience with familiar animals)
• Spiritual teachings drawn from cats’ behavior and symbolism (professional practitioner perspective and teaching)

Recommended Reading on Cats & Familiar Spirits

• Classical Greek Mythology on Hekate and cat associations.
• Contemporary Wiccan and pagan philosophy texts on familiar animals and spirit guides.
• Historical documentation on Medieval Witch Trials and animal persecution.
• Starhawk. The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Goddess (1979). HarperCollins.
• Moody Moons. Familiar Animals and Spirit Guides in Modern Witchcraft.

Note

This article combines classical Greek mythology, historical documentation of medieval attitudes toward cats, and contemporary pagan philosophy with Lumina Indigo’s 20+ years of professional pagan community experience as founder of Moody Moons. Claims grounded in classical texts, historical records, and documented medieval sources are cited as published sources; personal observations on cat behavior symbolism, spiritual teachings drawn from cats’ nature, and philosophical interpretations of cats’ role in witchcraft are labeled as contributor (Lumina Indigo) professional practitioner experience for transparency. The article emphasizes both historical context and contemporary spiritual applications of cat symbolism in witchcraft.