Character design.
A kind of a shaman or a wizard practicing medicinal witchcraft in Hutsul culture (Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains region) is called Molfar. According to local beliefs, molfars can be good or evil.
This character is inspired by molfar Mykhailo Nechay, the last known practicing molfar in Ukraine, that has tragically died in 2011
And yes, he had a black cat