12 Surprising Facts About Black Cats Every Cat Lover Should Know
For starters, your black cat might not be black at all.
Black cats are often associated with spooky season, from being a witch’s familiar to the belief that one crossing your path brings bad luck. But as anyone who has loved a black cat can tell you, they are so much more!
In fact, the oft-maligned felines have historically been good luck in different cultures—until witch investigators and religion got involved. Now, they struggle with false information year-round.
“People often think black cats get adopted more around October because of their association with Halloween,” said Carly Fox, senior veterinarian in the emergency & critical care service at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center. “However, research actually shows that this isn't true. In some shelters, the adoption of black cats is actually temporarily suspended in October to help protect against impulse adoptions.”
To dispel myths about black cats, I asked Fox and Kelly Hood, DVM, speaking for Pet Health Digest, to share fun facts about our midnight-colored furry friends.
Not all black cats are the same breed
“Black describes a coat color, not a single breed,” Hood says. “You can have black cats with very different ancestry, coat lengths and personalities.”
However, one breed is always black: “The Bombay is a particular breed developed to resemble a miniature black panther, but having black fur does not automatically make a cat a Bombay.”
Your cat might not be completely black
Although black is a common cat color, many black cats aren’t completely black. Instead, Hood says, they may have a unique white marking, like a little white puff on their chest or a single white toe.
“Their dark coloring comes from a pigment called eumelanin, with several genes influencing how that pigment appears in the coat,” she said.
Black cats aren’t bad luck
Black cats have been persecuted for centuries. The first mention of a black cat as bad luck was on June 13, 1233, when Pope Gregory IX declared in the document “Vox in Rama” that black cats were Satan incarnate. Coincidentally (or not), this decree was also the spark that led to church-sanctioned witch trials.
Fur color doesn’t affect personality
Cast aside your preconceived notions about black cats. “People sometimes assume a black cat will be aloof, mysterious, or less affectionate,” Hood says. But that’s not actually the case. The color of a cat’s fur doesn’t affect how it acts—that’s a result of temperament, socialization, and individual experiences.
Your black cat might actually be a tabby
Genetically, Hood says, the black cat in your neighborhood could have a tabby pattern instead of solid-colored fur. The stripes of the tabby pattern (arguably the most common color pattern for cats) are just “hidden because the hairs within the pattern and around it have the same coloring,” she says.
Black kittens don’t always grow up to be black cats
It can take up to a year and a half for a kitten’s coat to come in fully, Hood says. Watch a black kitten’s fur closely; it might start to be speckled with other colors or develop some unique undertones. Sometimes, in bright sunlight, you can see that the black is actually various shades of extremely dark brown.
7. Sunlight can change a black cat’s color
Just like human hair can bleach with prolonged exposure to sunlight, a black cat’s fur can begin to rust when they sit in the sun for too long. The fur’s color change is permanent, so they’ll have orange, gray, or light red highlights in their fur until they shed it off.
Black cats were divine—and harming one led to prosecution
In ancient Egypt, black cats were considered holy creatures. They were a symbol of the goddess Bastet. And if someone harmed one or killed one? That could mean imprisonment, or even worse, a death sentence. Black cats were also the favored animals of the gods in Irish and Scottish mythology.
Black cats were good luck for sailors
Sailing superstition says a black cat is the perfect lucky companion to have as a ship’s cat. Historically, black ship’s cats were the easiest to find because no one wanted them. That was great for sailors, who used them on board to hunt and kill rodents. Some say the ship’s cat on the Titanic, Jenny, was black, but disembarked in Southampton before the ship’s fateful journey.
Black cats might be naturally resistant to FIV
Thanks to specific genes that cause black fur, black cats might be less likely to develop or contract FIV. The genes actually suppress retroviruses. But remember, that doesn’t mean Fluffy is immune. Just resistant. So be sure to keep an eye on your cat if there’s a possibility they might encounter blood from an infected animal.
Black is one of the most common cat colors
Black fur has two possible genetic origins, and it’s a dominant trait. That’s why we're more likely to see a sleek black kitten running across our paths than many other colors—though some cat breeds like Russian Blue and Siamese are color-specific through their genetics and will never have black cats.
Black cats have their own day
In fact, black cats have two days. October 27 is National Black Cat Day, a day meant to bring attention to low adoption rates for black cats. August 17 is National Black Cat Appreciation Day, inspired by a 20-year-old black cat named Sinbad, and is meant to dispel myths around the loving felines.
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