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Why are more black cats up for adoption than any others?

Black cats have an undeserved reputation

You’ve heard the stories and you know the supposed superstitions regarding Friday the 13ths and black cats and you’re probably 99.% sure that myths are just myths.

However, the reputation about black cats are shared by many cultures around the world. For instance, millions of British people believe that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day.

Irrational fears about the imagined dangers of this day usually affect only those individuals holding the conviction. When Friday October 13th comes around, some people won’t go into work and they probably won’t organise a trip or plan a special occasion.

For instance, I know a lot of people who wouldn’t chose to fly Palma-Britain on Friday October 13th and would prefer to fly on Thursday the 12th or Saturday 14th. It doesn’t make sense and we know it, but there’s something about Friday 13ths, walking under ladders and other certain superstitions that have been ingrained in us since youth.

It’s sad, but the long-held myths about black cats in several cultures can have serious, often deadly, consequences for these dark-furred felines.

Superstitions in the West about cats, and about black cats in particular, are of quite recent origin. The ancient Egyptians worshipped the cat in the form of the goddess Bastet. Statuettes of superior looking Egyptian cats can be seen today in most museums around the world. Wearing an earring and maybe even a jeweled collar, they sit upright, tail wrapped around their body, gazing into eternity.

In Roman times, cats were considered sacred and their popularity spread around Europe. Then, by the 17th century, cats in most parts of Europe began to be associated with the supernatural and witchcraft in particular.

In several countries cats were subjected to horrendous cruelty. Black cats have, more than other felines, been mistreated. Even today, legends about “unlucky” black cats are widespread in many European countries and in the United States, whereas in other cultures, such as England and Japan, they’ve usually been cherished for the good luck they are believed to bring.

It seems that black cats are particularly in danger around Halloween when they receive a very bad press – they are depicted looking malevolent or bewitching and crafty in spooky drawings and cards, or shown sitting alongside witches on flying broomsticks.

Many animal rescue shelters have to implement policies to protect black cats from potential harm by forbidding their adoptions until well after Halloween.

Also, many usually rational people will not consider adopting a black cat, which means they remain in rescue-shelters longer than their more colourful brothers and sisters.

In addition, they are often considered plain or dull.

It’s time that the groundless superstitions about black cats are laid to rest for once and for all.

All staff and volunteers at animal shelters need to work hard to counteract the negative reputation of these sleek, ebony cats. We need to try to encourage potential adopters to look past the outward appearance of every cat, and to focus on its individuality, personality and wonderful qualities.

It’s fascinating to note that new scientific research has shown that black cats may actually be more fortunate than their fairer relatives. To quote from New Scientist Magazine ”... black coats may have evolved separately many times in different species of cat – indicating that dark fur has a survival benefit. Furthermore, the mutations leading to a black coat are in the same gene family as those involved in human diseases like Aids, so it may be that black cats are more resistant to disease than others.”

A black coat is also a benefit as hunting camouflage, giving the black cat an evolutionary advantage.

Animal-shelters in Britain, Spain and the rest of the world, are seemingly always home to an overlarge quantity of beautiful black cats and kittens, who are only waiting for a change of luck. So, please, let’s throw superstition to the wind and take a leaf out of Groucho Marx’s book when he said: “A black cat crossing your path signifies…
…that it’s going somewhere.”
Thank-you.

Alex Brooke
October 5th 2006