The lead up to Halloween, or Hop Tu Naa as we know it in the Isle of Man, is a time when we turn our minds to black cats. Indeed, National Black Cat Day was on 27th October and it encouraged us to celebrate this colour of cat, not least because it is sometimes associated with bad luck.
Conversely, in many cultures black cats are associated with good luck and they are seen as 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).
But in much of the western world black cats are considered to be harbingers of misfortune and wickedness, due in the main to their association with witches and Satan. In the 17th century simply owning a black cat could lead to harsh punishments, even death, because of their association with witchcraft. The black cat still suffers from, as the National Black Cat Day publicity calls it, the ‘consequences of a damaged collective reputation’ which is why celebrating the black cat is a great opportunity to subvert trends and false beliefs.
Black cats could, themselves, do with some good luck. They are two thirds less likely to be adopted than white cats, and fifty percent less likely to be adopted than tabbies. They are also more likely to be involved in a road traffic accident because they are less visible to drivers.
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. And what’s more, a dark coat places greater focus on a cat’s eyes, which are often a rich gold or green due to their higher melanin content.
A black cat is also likely to be healthier than its counterparts. Research has shown that the genetic mutations that cause cats to have black coats may offer them some protection from diseases such as cancer and the feline equivalent of Alzheimer’s.