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Every October, images of Halloween surround us: ghosts, jack-o’-lanterns, witches, skeletons, and, of course, our favorite: black cats!
Fans of black cats know they are so much more than Halloween decorations. They deserve loving homes any time of the year, and they have an abundance of love to give.
Black cats get an unfair bad rap thanks to legends about being evil, witchy, and bad luck, but anyone who lives with these mini panthers will tell you, black cats are amazing! I myself have two solid black short-haired females, G.G. and Victoria.
Consider these eight reasons why black cats benefit our households—and why you should adopt one.
1. Black Cats Make Halloween Extra Festive
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I’m someone who goes all out decorating my house for Halloween. I have a miniature Halloween village, a year-round living room tree that gets Halloween/autumn ornaments in September and October, and numerous yard decorations. But nothing adorns the household quite like a black cat.
“Oooh, I like that black cat decoration in your window!” a trick-or-treater once said to me.
“That’s no decoration. That’s my black cat, G.G.!” I said.
Perched on the windowsill during trick or treat, G.G. indeed looks like she could be a decoration. (Too bad she refused to wear the orange and black joker collar I bought her.)
The best part about this Halloween “decoration?” A living, breathing, sentient black cat gives you love year-round. That beats any inanimate knickknack that gets stored away after October.
2. Black Cats Have Awesome Personalities
It’s not to say that black cats have better personalities than any other color cat, but every black cat I’ve known has had personality plus! My G.G. went through a grumpy and mistrustful stage as a stray kitten in foster care with me, but one day, something just clicked:
She started purring, and she hasn’t quit since 2008. G.G. loves to sit on me, run her motor, and give me exfoliating facial scrubs with her sandpaper tongue. My sleek, petite Victoria looks like a polished panther and love-bombs me in the mornings by rubbing her face on my hands and my laptop.
3. In Some Cultures, Black Cats Are Considered Good Luck!
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Why listen to silly superstitions about black cats crossing your path being an omen of bad luck? Although the origin of that belief can’t be traced with certainty, Pope Gregory IX did great harm to the rumors with his statement in 1233 that black cats were demons in disguise.
Other cultures believe the opposite about black cats. In Japan, black cats are considered a symbol that financial blessings and true love are coming. European sailors, considering black cats good luck, would bring black cats onto their ships, and their wives kept black cats at home.
4. Black Cat Hair Doesn’t Show up on Some Clothes and Furniture
If you have a white or cream-colored couch, or are wearing light-colored clothes, your black cat’s fur will noticeably coat the cloth. But if you have dark furniture and love wearing black clothes, nobody will know you and your furniture are covered in cat hair. The shed fur blends right in. Handy!
5. Black Cats Have Gorgeous Eyes
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Against the backdrop of their ebony fur, a black cat’s eyes—usually amber, gold, or green—really jump out at you. In a dark room, a black cat’s body even seems to disappear into the darkness, leaving their eyes seemingly floating like the grin of the Cheshire cat in the night sky.
6. Black Cats Look like Elegant Miniature Panthers
When lounging on top of my leopard print bed comforter, my black cats look especially exotic—like two sleek black panthers from the jungle. Under light, black cats shine like onyx. When black cats sun themselves from rays spilling into the house, their fur takes on a brownish/reddish cast, and you can sometimes even spy faint tabby markings on your black cat’s coat.
7. Black Cats Are Ubiquitous, and Come in Most Breeds
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Whether you want a mixed-breed cat or a purebred, you will have no trouble finding one. Black is one of the two basic genetic colors in a cat (the other is orange), so black cats are abundant. Black is actually the most dominant cat color, so black cats are therefore the most common. Thousands of black cats out there need homes, so why not make one of these special felines your own?
8. Black Cats Need Homes the Most
Finally, despite all these benefits of beautiful black cats, they sadly are the least likely to get adopted. Whether it’s because of the unfair bad reputation, a simple preference among more people for lighter and more colorful shades or patterns, or something else, shelters and rescues have to work harder at promoting their black cats and kittens.
So many of black cats are waiting for homes, and so many people pass them over for adoption. Why not give a home to a beautiful black cat? They will repay you with years of love and affection—and a boost of festive fun in the fall.