Halloween is right around the corner, which often reminds us of things like haunted houses, spiders, bats, and most of all: black cats. Black cats get a bad rap. Three to 4 million cats enter animal shelters each year. Some go to loving homes, but because of the animal-overpopulation crisis, nearly 71 percent of them are euthanized (put to sleep)—the majority of which are black cats. Why?

For centuries, black cats have been associated with bad luck and witchcraft. They have long been at the center of spooky stories and mystic folklore and are known as being a witch’s BFF. This negative stereotype is one explanation—but one study suggests that even when people don’t think about black cats negatively, they still have a tendency to walk right past them at shelters. (Hannah, 2017)

I have a black cat myself, her name Athena, named after the goddess of war. 

She is as sweet as can be and I love her dearly. Someone in my town had found a litter of kittens in their backyard and had it not been for me she would’ve been brought to the shelter. Athena, a precious, lovable, and playful kitten might have spent the rest of her life in a shelter due to the harmful stereotypes black cats face. 

She is a wonderful addition to our animal family. She likes to play with our older cat, and even though our 200 lb Rottweiler, Ava, is scared of Athena (She is also scared of leaves and cars) she still follows her around the house like a toddler. 

So the next time you consider welcoming a new furry friend into your household, get a black cat!

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Hannah, H. (2017, March 16). Black Cats Overlooked in Shelters, Studies Show. Retrieved October 16, 2020, from https://www.peta2.com/news/black-cats/