If you’re wanting to adopt a cat or looking into cat rehoming, a black cat is a great choice. Alike their colourful siblings, black cats come in all shapes, sizes, and breeds. The most famous breed of black cats are the Moggy cats, but other breeds include ragdoll cats, persian cats, and British shorthair cats. Even sphynx cats, known for their lack of fur and savannah cats, the biggest domestic cat can boast a beautiful black coat. To help you make the right decision, we spoke to our resident vet about why you should adopt a black cat.
Black cats are less likely to be adopted
Despite their undeniable beauty, black cats are less likely to be adopted than other cats. Amongst all the cats for sale and those in cat rescue centres, black cats are often the last to be adopted – and, sadly, some black cats aren’t adopted at all. One suggested reason for this is that their dark appearance doesn’t photograph well for selfies on social media – namely instagram. On the flip side of this, black cats are far easier to spot when they’re lost in snow and their dark fur cancels out the need to own a lint roller – score! Black cats can even use their monochrome exterior to their advantage – e.g. by sneaking up on their prey thanks to their knack for hiding in the shadows.
You are saving a life when you adopt a black cat
Sadly, black cats don’t only have the lowest adoption rate – they have the highest euthanasia rate, too. This is due to cat rescue centres not being able to find them a home after lengthy waiting times. This rings true for kitten adoption as well – not all black kittens for sale are chosen to go to forever homes and end up in cat rescue centres instead, continuing the cycle. Whenever you choose to adopt a cat from a cat rescue centre, you open up a space for another cat who looking for their forever home – so considering a black cat could actually save a life (or even two)!
Superstitions about black cats simply aren’t true
We’ve all heard the superstitions but there’s one question that everyone seems to debate – are black cats good luck or bad luck? Historically, black cats are believed to be linked to witchcraft and bring bad luck upon those they encounter. On the other hand, some people believe that a black cat crossing their path is good luck. Either way, superstitions should not stop you from welcoming a black cat into your life and giving them a forever home.
