A study from Cats Protection has shown that it takes 13 percent longer for a black cat to be rehomed, compared to cats of other colour!
Despite being just as cute and adorable as their more colourful relatives, black cats have been neglected for several years – facing suspicion, hostility and even death due to a stupid superstition.
Between 2007 and 2013, the Blue Cross saw a 65 per cent rise in the number of black cats they took in annually.
Superstitions regarding black cats vary depending on the culture.
Although in Britain, black cats are traditionally considered to be good luck, other countries in Europe don’t hold black cats in such high regard.
For instance, in Germany, a black cat crossing your path from left to right is considered to be a bad omen.
The RSCPA reports that out of more than 1000 cats in care, 70% are black or black and white and that the struggle to rehome black cats is not helped by superstitions:
“In UK folklore, black cats symbolise good luck, yet sadly in reality they are not so lucky.”
They continue…
“There are a number of reasons for this, ranging from the fact that black cats are harder to tell apart than cats with more distinctive markings and the fact that black animals tend not to photograph as well.”
Today (October 27th) is the annual ‘National Black Cat Day’ – a whole day designed to promote black cats and bring awareness to those who might be looking to purchase a kitten or rehome a cat.
As part of the day, black cat owners on social media show off their pets, hoping to disprove the superstitions and show black cats make as good a pet as any other cat.