What is National Black Cat Day?
National Black Cat Day falls this year on Tuesday 27th October 2020. It was originally created by Cats Protection in 2011, and is a day dedicated to recognising the beauty of black cats!
As you are probably aware, black cats are often overlooked by society, due to common beliefs and superstitions that black cats may be ‘unlucky’. What you may not know, is that these beliefs mean that black cats struggle to find their forever homes as quickly as other coloured cats. In fact, when this campaign was originally produced by Cats Protection in 2011, the data showed that black cats took on average an entire week longer to be adopted as pets than cats of other colours.
So where does the discrimination come from?
Some research shows that black cat discrimination can be traced back as far as the Middle Ages, where people believed that black cats had sinister qualities to them. It was also believed that a sighting of a black cat was linked to death, similar to the beliefs about black ravens at the time. Black cats became associated with black magic, witches and witchcraft, and this link still exists today during the Halloween period, as black cats have become a popular Halloween symbol. Since the Middle Ages, the superstition has evolved, with the modern-day belief being that someone who crosses path with a black cat will have ‘bad luck’ for a given number of years.
So, what’s the good news?
Well, there has been nothing to suggest that black cats are unlucky. In fact, in some cultures, black cats are seen as a symbol of good luck. In Japan, black cats are said to bring luck to single women looking to find love. In ancient Egypt, black cats and cats of all colours were god-like, and in the olden-days, sailors across the globe used to keep a black cat aboard their ships as a symbol of good luck. So black cats deserve our love just as much as any other colour!
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At Animal Courses Direct, we love animals of all shapes, sizes and colours. So, in honour of today, we have rounded up a few of our favourite facts about black cats for you to read.
1 The colour of fur in black cats is caused by Melanism!
Melanism, is the opposite of albinism (causing a lack of pigment). This is a mutation which causes the fur to be black and is also responsible for giving black cats their famous golden eyes.
There are as many as 21 different cat breeds with black coloured fur.
While some people believe black cats are their own breed, there are actually up to 21 different variations of black cat breeds.
2 The Bombay breed is the only cat with purely black fur.
The Bombay cat was first bred in Kentucky in 1958 and is the only purely black cat to this day. The owner bred a Burmese and an American Shorthair to create the Bombay breed which she wanted to resemble a black panther.
3 Black fur is a dominant gene in cats.
Black fur is a dominant gene, meaning it will always be passed on to offspring if their parents carry it.
The black cat is the most universally popular Halloween costume year on year.
This costume is symbolically worn as an all-black outfit with cat style ears, a popular favourite with children and adults alike.
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How can you support this cause?
There are several ways you can help support Cats Protection and support their Black Cat plight.
Let’s show some cat appreciation for all the black cats out there this Halloween and continue to support and provide for the welfare needs of cats.
Also, if you adore animals, you can keep track of all upcoming animal awareness days and events with our FREE calendar! Download it here.
