Celebrating National Black Cat Day in SWFL

Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:
National Black Cat Day
Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

It’s National Black Cat Day on Friday. Black cats have long been considered a bad omen in Western culture, and studies show those negative stereotypes can make it more difficult for them to get adopted.

When Mimi Cordero walked into an adoption shelter, she hadn’t intended to adopt a black cat.

brown and black cat
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“Mainly because of people. They’re always telling me, a black cat is not a good cat, so all my life I’m like, ‘OK, stay away from black cats,'” said Chris Wilson, an American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals matchmaker.

It’s an old stereotype Wilson has heard several times during his career.

“The movies, the TV shows, black cats have been linked to that kind of superstition for a long time,” said Wilson.

This stigma against black cats is something that animal science professor at North Carolina State University Kimberly Ange-Van Heugten says dates back to when Egyptians first domesticated cats.

“You had this cat that was worshipped by some but seen as a pagan god by others, and that, throughout a lot of Europe, gave the cat, any cat, kind of a bad reputation,” said Ange-van Heugten.

But the ASPCA said National Black Cat Day is an opportunity to dispel those myths.

“Super friendly, super sweet, they’re like any other cat,” said Wilson when talking about black cats and their behavior.

Celebrate National Black Cat Day by visiting the Gulf Coast Humane Society or Humane Society Naples and give one a new forever home.

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