National Black Cat Appreciation Day

Scaredy cat

August 17, 2023 is National Black Cat Appreciation Day and we have a large number of sweet kitties to celebrate at the shelter! There are many myths surrounding black cats that contribute to them being one of the highest percentages of felines in shelters across the country. Black cats have historically been associated with witches, evil, and bad luck. Here at the SPCA of Hancock County, our black cats come with a 100% “not possessed by an evil witch spirit” guarantee! We can’t promise that about all of our other cats though… 

Black cat bias

The Black Cat Bias is a phenomenon that suggests that people often perceive cats with black fur as less friendly and more aggressive than other colored cats. This phenomenon is still being studied, however, the bias has been demonstrated in studies where people are shown images of cats where they subsequently rate their adoptability, friendliness, and aggression. A number of factors could contribute to the black cat bias, but some identified factors include cultural perceptions, sinister associations, and the inability to read the facial cues of black cats. With black fur, the facial expressions of our kitty friends can be difficult for people to distinguish in photographs due to a lack of contrast. This can be mistaken for a lack of friendliness when really it’s just a lack of proper lighting! Our black-furred friends have the same charisma and character as their counterparts, we simply need to look beyond first impressions. 

Numbers don’t lie

As of now, cats that are predominantly black in color make up about 40% of our current shelter cats. That is a large percentage, folks! How can you help us change this? If you’re able to adopt, come visit with our furry friends at the shelter and see just what truly wonderful companions they make! If you’re not in the right place to adopt at the moment, you can become a Pet Pal on our website, or simply spread the word about black cat awesomeness to help our current residents find their furever homes. 

View our currently available cats at https://www.spcahancockcounty.org/adopt/available-cats/ .