Halloween can mean trouble for black cats seeking adoption

JACKSON, Tenn. — Opening an umbrella inside, walking under a ladder, and breaking a mirror may give you chills over the so-called bad luck these things may bring — but there is one superstition causing one pet to take a hard hit.

“Superstition against black cats goes back hundreds of years,” said Jackson Animal Care Center Director Whitney Owen. “Initially in Medieval times, especially in Spain, there was a lot of correlation in the minds of the modern day man at that time between witches, witchcraft and black cats.”

As we approach Halloween, many black cats are put in danger.

“There’s a lot of rescues and a lot of shelters that don’t adopt out black cats before Halloween because they’re trying to protect them,” Owen said. “And that’s very admirable. Unfortunately since we’re limited space, we don’t have the option to cut off adoptions. So we just have to be extra careful when we’re screening people to make sure that they don’t have nefarious intentions.”

While Jackson Animal Care Center does not see a negative connotation between black cats and adoptions locally, they see a majority of black cats in their shelter due to their strong genes.

“Black cats play a large, large part in what we do here because they are a large percentage of what we get in,” Owen said.

Although some may be spooked by the fear of crossing a black cat’s path, Owen says they are no different than any other cat.

“Biologically, black cats are no different than any other cat other than the color of their fur,” Owen said. “And so, personality wise, they’re not any different. They’re still just as friendly, just as outgoing or just as shy based on their life experiences.”

The center currently has a dozen black cats. For more information on how to adopt or foster, click here.

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