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It’s Not Easy Being a Black Cat

With so many opinions about black cats, it must not be easy to be one. So many bad luck myths to debunk and some outrageous good luck theories to live up to.

Just Google folklore surrounding black cats and you are bombarded with entries containing both good and evil mythology around the color of a cat’s coat. While there may not be a difference between a black cat and a tabby, behavior wise, there does seem to be some mystical differences.

• In Asia and the United Kingdom, a black cat is considered lucky.
• In 16th century Italy, it was believed that if a black cat lay on the bed of a sick man, he would die.
• A common folk cure for a sty on the eyelid was to rub it with the tail of a black cat.
• In Yorkshire, it may be lucky to own a black cat, but unlucky to have one cross your path.
• According to Scottish lore, a black cat on a porch brings prosperity to the homeowner.
• In the African American hoodoo tradition, black cats are considered good luck in matters of sports and gambling, particularly with card games and the lottery.
• In Yorkshire, if a sailor’s wife kept a black cat, her husband would always return safely from the sea; this sometimes led to black cats being stolen.

When you look at all the black cats in animal shelters, you’d surmise they were the most unlucky of creatures. Overlooked in favor of their orange neighbor, last of the litter chosen, passed over for the more visible white cat—they make up the largest segment of CAT’s shelter population. In 2010, CAT found homes for 2,771 cats and kittens of all colors and ages. Of those, 875 were black or mostly black cats – approximately 34 percent of all the cats adopted last year.

CAT staffers and volunteers are befuddled why black cats are overlooked when they are the friendliest of all the cats in the shelter. CAT’s black felines are routinely described as laid back, friendly, and more social.

According to ScienCentral.com, the seemingly common black fur is actually a quite recessive gene. That means a black cat must carry two copies of the black fur gene to, indeed, be black. Talk about luck! So all of you who have and love black cats, consider yourself fortunate to be in the presence of such a genetic marvel, the black cat!

 

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