There Are 22 Breeds Of Black Cat – More Than Any Other Color.

Don’t be superstitious on National Black Cat Day! October 27th celebrates the beauty of these sleek creatures and raises awareness of the low adoption rates for black cats.

• 2181 BC – In ancient Egypt, people highly revered cats, partly because they could combat vermin such as mice and rats.
• 1500 BC – The goddess of warfare was a cat-headed woman named Bastet.
• 476 BC – 1500 AD – During the Middle Ages, Europeans came to believe that black cats were associated with witchcraft. Elderly, solitary women who often fed and cared for stray cats were also often (mis)identified as witches, and the cats as their conspirators.
• 1232 – A 13th-century Latin church document is where Pope Gregory IX first suggested that black cats were associated with Satan
• 1843 – Edgar Allen Poe published his story “The Black Cat” in 1843, about a murderer carefully concealing a crime, but eventually breaking down and revealing himself because of a nagging reminder of his guilt.
• 1880 – Since the 1880s, the color black has been associated with anarchism, and the black cat in an alert, fighting stance was later adopted as an anarchist symbol
• 1958 – Only one black cat exists in the world of domestic felines. This is the Bombay cat, which was first bred in Kentucky in 1958.
• 2016 – Gladstone, a black cat, became Chief Mouser to the Treasury in the United Kingdom
• In ancient times, royal cats were often dressed in gold jewelry and allowed to eat right off their owners’ plates.
• In Celtic mythology, fairies were believed to take the form of black cats, so their arrival at a home or village was seen as a sign of good luck.
• There are 22 breeds of black cat – more than any other color.
• In Britain and Japan, many people keep a ‘lucky black cat’ as a keyring or other trinket, while in Scotland, a strange black cat visiting the home signifies prosperity.
• When considering a ‘ship’s cat’, sailors often choose a black cat to bless their journey with good luck.  Fishermen’s wives would also have a black cat at home as they believed that this too would help to protect their husbands while they were at sea.
• Most black cats are friendly and sweet-natured, often seeking cuddles with their nominated human.
• In Japan, black cats are considered harbingers of good luck.
• Japanese Single women often keep black cats, believing they attract potential suitors.
• In Japan, people believe black cats ward off evil spirits and bring prosperity to households.
• If you’re in Germany and one crosses your path from right to left, good things are on the horizon.
• In Russia, all cats are viewed as lucky.
• Black cats can be boys or girls, but more are male than female.
• According to PETA, black cats are two-thirds less likely to be adopted than white cats and fifty percent less likely than tabby cats.
• The association of black cats with Halloween traces back to medieval Europe, where people believed they were witches’ familiars or even witches in disguise.
  • This superstition led to black cats being linked with witchcraft and the supernatural, symbols that have persisted into modern Halloween imagery.
• Black cats are quintessential Halloween icons—and the number one costume choice for both elementary-aged children and women in their freshman year of college,
• In Great Britain’s English Midlands, a black cat is the ideal wedding gift; people believe it brings good luck and happiness to the bride.
• Black cats have featured prominently in films, often symbolizing mystery or supernatural elements.
  • For instance, in the animated film “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” the black cat Jiji serves as the protagonist’s companion, offering both comic relief and wisdom. This portrayal highlights the cultural trope of black cats as magical or mystical beings.
• If you have ever glanced at your black cat and thought they looked ginger, you’re correct. Even if a black cat is purely black, its fur can rust in the sun. Prolonged exposure to the sun’s rays can change a black cat’s fur color.    We refer to this as rusting because it turns a shade of orange. This is because the sun’s rays are breaking down the cat’s melanin pigment. Also, red is the other dominant color gene in cat fur. As a result, the tabby pattern in your cat’s DNA becomes visible.
• Black cats also find their lustrous fur changing color as they age.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Days of the Year

Sure Pet Care

Mental Floss

The Spruce Pets

Senior Cat Wellness

National Today