New RSPCA figures reveal the plight of ‘unlucky’ black cats

New figures from the RSPCA reveal the plight of black cats as they take double the amount of time than other cats to find their forever home.

The RSPCA has released the figures for National Black Cat Day (October 27) which comes just days before Halloween when some people may see black cats as something ‘spooky’ or superstitious.

From 2019 to 2021, more than 2,000 black cats came into the charity’s 14 national animal centres (this does not include the RSPCA’s large network of branches so actual figures will be higher). The charity rehomed 2,260 black cats during the same period and on average it took 30 days for a black cat to find their forever home compared to 16 days for a grey tabby cat.*

Black and white cats are the felines who are more likely to come into the charity’s care (2,770) and they took an average of 28 days to find their forever homes compared to a calico cat which took just 17 days.

The higher numbers of black or black and white cats ending up in rescue centres and their longer length of stay could be in part due to myths around black cats, especially at this time of year.

In UK folklore, black cats actually traditionally symbolise good luck but around Halloween many associate black cats with superstitions or witches. Others say that black cats aren’t ‘Instagrammable’ and don’t look good in pictures whilst some people prefer ‘different’ coat colours such as blue or grey cats.

Sam Watson, RSPCA cat welfare expert, explains this further. She said: “It is a sad fact that black cats really don’t have much luck because we see more of them coming through our doors than any other colour of cat, other than black and white cats, possibly because they are more common.

“A few studies show that some people believe black cats are less affectionate, but they really are no different to any other cat. Researchers have also found that some superstitious people find them less appealing. Other cats, such as tabbies, have distinctive markings making them look more attractive to some. We think black cats are just beautiful – but would urge people to look beyond their perceptions of what an animal looks like. Their fur colour makes no difference to how much affection they have to give.

“Black cats won’t bring you good luck or bad luck but they do need forever homes. If you can bring some magic into their lives they are sure to bring some joy into yours. We would love to see those who are looking to adopt a cat this Adoptober to please consider adopting a black cat.”

*Cat rehoming figures 2019-2021