Brings good, good luck your way. It's only bad when a black cat crosses your path underfoot, causing you to lose your balance and fall onto your new coffee table. Then it's really, really bad.

If you're allergic, throw a pinch of the cat over your left shoulder.

If the cat's ears are burning, either someone is talking about the cat, or else the cat's head is on fire.

If you look directly into the cat's eyes and say "Bloody Mary" five times, someone will pelt you with olives, celery and tomato juice.

If you step on the cat, you'll break the cat's back.

Rub the cat on a wart, then bury the cat under a full moon, and the wart will go away.

If you break the cat, you will have seven years of clawed furniture.

Opening a cat in the house brings bad luck.

If someone gives you a knife for a gift, you must give them a cat, or else it cuts the friendship.

Black cats are good luck. Black and white ones in wastebaskets doubly so, no worries.

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You have successfully stopped the cat from crossing your path. The next person it crosses will be your enemy.

If you're thankful the cat is alive and happy, you'll be blessed for all your days.

I have been told that the Italian version of this superstition is that a black cat crossing one's path is bad luck, unless one knows that particular black cat.

I think a belly rub means that you've been formally introduced, so you're all set.

It really depends on the stomach contents of the cat in question. Did you check?

Noooo, giving kitties belly rubs brings all sorts of good karma!

Good karma, but dirty fingernails.

A black cat crosses my path and I scratch his tummy about 10 times a day. Not sure about the karma but it lowers my blood pressure and makes me calm.

I was told if a black cat crosses your path, you can avert the bad luck by crossing your fingers, and keeping them crossed until you see either a dog, or three horses.

I have not seen convincing scientific evidence for this.

It's bad luck to be superstitious.