So WWI pilots were really superstitious and the pilot whose account I’m reading had a favorite good luck charm: a stuffed black cat that was bought for him in Paris, which he strapped to the wing of his plane.
Apparently it helped him shoot down his very first enemy plane, but was unfortunately blown up when the Germans night-bombed the hangar where his plane was.
Naturally, he was heartbroken and absolutely refused to fly until he could go back to Paris and get another (bigger) stuffed black cat, which continued to bring him good luck and even once stopped a bullet from its trajectory straight toward his head.
Black cats are lucky, people. History says so.