As the end of October approaches, many people will be planning to celebrate Hop Tu Naa which is thought to be the oldest unbroken tradition in the Isle of Man. As we say good-bye to summer and welcome in winter, Hop Tu Naa will be mixed in with a celebration of Halloween. Witches feature in both of the traditions, with our famous Manx one being, of course, Jinnie the Witch.

And so it is fitting that this week we should celebrate the black cat.

Cats have been associated with witches for hundreds of years. Black cats in the middle ages were believed to be witches’ familiars, and some people even believed them to be witches incarnate. Many of these old superstitions about black cats exist to this day, and we think this is the main reason why our black cats take longer to be adopted than those of other colours.

However, in many countries black cats are seen as a good luck charm or a good omen – a black cat appearing on your doorstep signals prosperity (a common belief in Scotland), and a black cat crossing your path signals good fortune (in England and Ireland).

Another reason given for black cats being overlooked when it comes to adoption is that they are difficult to photograph, but a shiny black cat can be very photogenic. In fact, most black cats are not completely black, and they can have feint stripes or speckles in their coats. They also change colour in the sun – ‘rusting’ is where, in bright sunlight, a black cat can appear to be a reddish-brown colour.

A black cat is also likely to be healthier than its counterparts. Research has shown that the genetic mutations that causes cats to have black coats may offer them some protection from diseases such as cancer and the feline equivalent of Alzheimer’s.