National Black Cat Day October 27th 2024

National Black Cat Day was created by Cats Protection on October 27th 2011.
When the campaign was launched, statistics revealed that black and black-and-white cats took, on average, seven days longer to find a home compared to cats of other colours.

Thousands of people backed the UK’s first-ever Black Cat Awareness Day – as it was known then – on October 27th, which drew attention to the hundreds of homeless black cats in Cats Protection’s care and the apparent reluctance of people to adopt them.

Have you ever feared a black cat crossing your path?

This is from ancient superstitions where people thought this meant bad luck. For many cultures and historical settings, black cats were actually meant for positive things. So, to try and dispel these myths about black cats, National Black Cat Appreciation Day was created to be celebrated every year.

Today, pop culture loves black cats.

There’s the sarcastic Thackery Binx in “Hocus Pocus” and Salem, in “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,” and we can’t forget the classic cartoon black cat, Luna in “Sailor Moon.”
Black cats are seen as loyal companions, and this is what they were seen as for a lot of cultures in history too.

So, who’s to blame for this negative black cat spin? Superstition!
Mostly because during the Middle Ages, people (mainly the Catholic Church) saw witches as shape-shifting black cats and the damage was done. From then on, black cats were seen as evil entities for years and years to follow.

But not everyone sees black cats this way.
In fact, black cats are actually welcomed by a lot of people.
For some, a visit from a black cat means good luck, and for others it meant prosperity or romance.

In some cultures black cats are even worshipped. Basically, there’s no need to fear them.
On this day, we celebrate our cuddly friends, no matter what colour their coat is!