Superstition, or just bad lighting?: Some animal shelters find black cats less likely to be adopted
Published: 10-11-2024 10:04 AM |
One of the most enduring symbols of Halloween is the black cat, and their associations with the supernatural date as far back as the Middle Ages in Europe. Satan, witches and bad luck have followed these felines into the modern Halloween zeitgeist.
Some western Massachusetts animal shelters embrace the lore as Halloween approaches, and the need for cats to find forever homes continues. But many adoption centers have noticed that black cats are, in general, less likely to be adopted, and the reason why may surprise you.
“[It’s] something that is actually not so much rooted in superstition or things like that, but a general fact that the facial features on an animal with dark fur are not going to be as easily read as those of an animal with lighter colored fur,” said Lee Chambers, social media and development specialist at Dakin Humane Society in Springfield.
Chambers explained that some cats who aren’t as social may be more difficult to photograph, and that this impacts their online adoption listing.
Chambers also noted that Dakin’s adoption data doesn’t account for specific characteristics like fur color so black cat adoption rates during Halloween aren’t available.
But the issue of black cats being passed over more often is also something Shayla Fiedler, a certified veterinary technician at South Deerfield Veterinary Clinic, has noticed. However, she feels that the negative connotations associated with black cats is less than it was in years prior.
“That's not really an attitude I feel like I hear so much now,” Fiedler said. From her experience at the vet clinic, “It's not so much that people don't like the black cats explicitly, it’s more that they seem to be passed over for more colorful cats.”
Enfield Community Cat Rescue in Connecticut has a unique policy regarding black cat adoption: it is not permitted during Halloween week.
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Dawn Struck started the Enfield Community Cat Rescue in Connecticut nine years ago, and she said she’s heard reports of cat abuse in nearby Hartford, Connecticut, around Halloween that’s prompted her to take a “better safe than sorry” approach.
“I've seen a lot of unfortunate things happen to cats, and I've seen and heard of just strange things that happen, and I don't have much faith in the human race. So I always err on the side of caution,” Struck said. She referred to a situation in April 2023 when cats in Hartford, Connecticut were found with their tails cut off. Although this did not occur during Halloween and police did not suspect this was targeted at black cats, she worries that superstitions around Halloween might make black cats more vulnerable to abuse.
“It’s been a long time thought process about black cats around Halloween and whether there’s any validity to it anymore, and I like to stick with my old policies. I think in some ways, it’s better to be safe than sorry,” Struck explained.
Though the moratorium on black cat adoption only lasts the week of Halloween, Struck says she has noticed the same issue of black cats being passed over or adopted last.
Robin Fiskaa, president of Halfway Home Cat Rescue in Chicopee, said she believes that expensive adoption fees deter abusers.
“If you want to adopt, and you are making that $250 payment to adopt a kitten or a cat, the likelihood of you going out and abusing it or doing something terrible to it is kind of unlikely,” Fiskaa said.
She said that adoption policies are in place to make sure all cats are going to safe homes.
“We check references and all sorts of things, and if something comes back with a red flag, then we deny the application, but we have not had any problems with black cats getting adopted,” Fiskaa explained.
“Black cats are just as sweet and friendly as any other colored cat,” Fiskaa said. “Superstition is just that – it’s not real.”
Cats of all colors are available for adoption now at Dakin Humane Society in Springfield, Halfway Home Cat Rescue in Chicopee, South Deerfield Veterinarian Clinic in South Deerfield, and Enfield Community Cat Rescue in Connecticut.
Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.