The companion meme came later, I think. The first references to black cats I've seen (you can see a taste of this if you read Name of the Rose) were of supersti

The companion meme came later, I think. The first references to black cats I've seen (you can see a taste of this if you read Name of the Rose) were of superstitions positive and negative) regarding path crossing and sacrificing of black cats. But by the time witch hunts rolled around, they definitely used "familiars" as evidence in some cases. I wonder if the "cat ladies" were a part of this, and if there were "cat men" for monks.