Matagot

A Matagot is a spirit in French folklore that tends to take the form of a black cat. While many Matagots are evil in nature, some can be helpful to humans. If a "wealth-bringing" Matagot is allowed to eat and drink first at every meal, it will give its owner a solid gold coin each morning.

The most basic legend about the money cat is as follows: The money cat or matagot is always black. This cat is often in service to either a sorcerer or witch. Stroking a money cat/matagot brings health and wealth. A money cat should be fed with the first bite of the meal at dinner. A suitable box should be provided for the money cat to sleep in. Finally, this cat must be given on to someone else before his master's death.

Matagots are generally evil, but some may prove helpful, like the "magician cat" said to bring wealth into a home if it is well fed. Traditionally, a wealth-bringing matagot must be lured with a fresh, plump chicken, then carried home by its new owner without the human once looking back. If the cat is given the first mouthful of food and drink at every meal, it will repay its owner with a solid gold coin each morning. In Gascony traditions, you must not keep the matagot all your life: if the owner is dying, he/she will suffer a long agony, as long as he/she doesn't free the matagot.^[1][2]

• Matagots and French Black Cat Lore

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