By Brianna Bianco
Black cats have long been associated with controversy and superstition. Primarily around Halloween, these loving, yet misunderstood felines are surrounded by folklore and misconceptions. Be it from the movies or the tall tales, people’s perceptions of black cats have been disapproving for centuries. Unfortunately, this has also led to them being the unlucky ones when it comes to being sent to animal shelters where their adoption rates are lower than their more colorful counterparts.
“Black cats are always the last adopted all year round,” said Lisa Frazzitta, an employee at All About Cats Rescue in Freeport, New York. “It’s a shame because they have the best personalities; they’re great. I love them.”
Frazzitta confirmed that their low adoption rate is primarily a result of superstition — and that they need to be protected.
“We actually don’t adopt out black cats for the two weeks leading up to Halloween because people do bad things to them,” she said. “It’s horrible, but we do it to keep them safe.”
Nancy Pabone, another employee at All About Cats, said, “Black cats also tend to be the
last to be adopted because of their coloring — they don’t pop out to the eye — and people tend to want cats that are pretty colors. They also don’t photograph well. Most of the time when I take pictures of them, I need to edit them and make them lighter, otherwise their features don’t show up.”
Volunteer Jade Frazzitta added, “There are a lot of bad people out there. You really have to be careful.” She and her mother, Lisa Frazzitta, foster a total of 17 cats, many of which are black. “Boo and Stella are two of them. And they’re the sweetest ones.”
Cassidy, an employee at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter who asked that their last name be withheld, reported that they currently have 84 black cats in their care—which is significantly more than any other color, including gray, of which they have 59.
“Usually if people give up a black cat for adoption, it’s because they can no longer care for them,” Cassidy said. “No one’s ever come in and admitted that they are superstitious. Although it is strange that we have so many more black cats than any other color here.”
Yet those who care for them agreed that black cats deserve the same love and affection as any other animal in shelters. Emily Dodson, a vet tech at Garden City Park Animal Hospital, adopted a black cat nine years ago. She said he’s the sweetest cat she’s ever had. “He’s friendly, sociable and gets along well with both people and other pets.”
By pausing adoptions around Halloween and spreading awareness about these unearned myths, shelters are taking action to protect and improve the lives of these misunderstood creatures. So the next time you see a black cat cross your path, don’t consider it bad luck, but perhaps instead a sign of good fortune.
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