# Black cat syndrome **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 5, 2018, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903 "2018-01-05T09:57:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/21 "2018-01-06T06:21:36Z")
+1 People were always commenting on our black cat, though. My MIL would not go near it. He was harmless and a big sweetie. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/22 "2018-01-06T17:53:49Z")
Huh. I figure the best color for a cat is black. And my wiener dogs are mostly black, except for Ted, who is white and orange. Funny, that Ted dog. [bob smith | Flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/155285423@N02/) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/23 "2018-01-06T18:04:44Z")
Gatopescado; I enjoyed your pictures! Those babies are kissibly cute!! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/24 "2018-01-06T19:00:15Z")
Our black cat, [Piper Grace](https://i.imgur.com/9xdeGJc.jpg), is probably the one I have the least photos of – not because of the contrast, but because she’s afraid of the camera noise. She’s the shyest cat I’ve ever come across. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2018, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/25 "2018-01-07T03:13:20Z")
Is it POSSIBLE that people are irrationally hostile to black dogs? Sure. But I doubt that’s the reason there are a lot of black dogs in shelters. What’s the most commonr dog breed in America? The Labrador. And a LOT of Labradors are black (including my own!). Ergo, in any shelter, there will be lots of black Labs and black Lab mixes. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2018, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/26 "2018-01-07T16:27:34Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Is it POSSIBLE that people are irrationally hostile to black dogs? Sure. But I doubt that’s the reason there are a lot of black dogs in shelters. \*"Through my research I learned that Black Dog Syndrome may be caused by a combination of: Size Unclear facial features Dimly lit kennels The “genericness” of black pets Negative portrayals of black pets in books, movies and other popular media A big, frightening black dog can be seen in The Hound of the Baskervilles, the Harry Potter series, both movie versions of The Omen, and even on the common “Beware of Dog” sign. Black cats are readily associated with witches, superstition, and bad luck."\* > **[Black Dog Syndrome | Petfinder](https://www.petfinder.com/dogs-and-puppies/adoption/finding-a-dog/black-dog-syndrome/)** > > Did you know that black dogs tend to stay longer in shelters than lighter colored pups? Learn why this happens and how you can help black dogs get a fair chance. Lots of human stupidity involved, not generic “racism”. We had a Lab who was nuts, but not because she was black. And we rescued a black kitten that wandered out of the woods. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2018, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/27 "2018-01-08T01:28:53Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > We had a solid black cat with green eyes, he was very photogenic. All you needed was a light background. > [@Chimera](#): > > The trick to photographing my black cat (Theo, age 2) is the lighting. In good light, I get great pics. In poor lighting, he’s just a black lump. Yeah, it can be tricky. We named our solid-black cat ‘Smudge’ after looking at the first couple of pictures we tried to take of her. Looked like a defect in the film with two green eyes in the middle of it. > [@Chronos](#): > > No cat variety is more evil than calicos. I’ve never once met a calico that was nice. I did once own one that we _thought_ was lovey-dovey… until she responded to my sister petting her by giving her a face-ectomy. Huh. The only calico I ever had was the friendliest cat I’ve ever seen. She loved everybody–family, friends, strangers, other cats, dogs, coyotes … Stupidest animal I’ve ever hosted in my home, and that includes goldfish. But really, really sweet and loving. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2018, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/28 "2018-01-08T07:49:18Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > The trick to photographing my black cat (Theo, age 2) is the lighting. In good light, I get great pics. In poor lighting, he’s just a black lump. I’ve fostered a few black cats, and I find the best way to get pictures of them is against white backgrounds. Unfortunately this means a lot of the spontaneous pictures I like to take don’t work as well with the black ones, since very little in my apartment is white, but here are two exceptions: [Moon in the bathtub](https://kittyfostermama.tumblr.com/image/158410834462) [Barney against an unpainted wall](https://kittyfostermama.tumblr.com/image/163205357097) ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2018, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/29 "2018-01-08T16:07:33Z")
I love my black dog, but spontaneous (ie smartphone) pix of her are usually awful. At least the cute, close-up, inside ones of her sleeping or cuddled up. All her parts blend together. Outside pix come out better, but it’s harder to catch good poses/moments. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2018, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/30 "2018-01-08T17:04:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **astorian** : > > Is it POSSIBLE that people are irrationally hostile to black dogs? Sure. But I doubt that’s the reason there are a lot of black dogs in shelters. > > What’s the most commonr dog breed in America? The Labrador. And a LOT of Labradors are black (including my own!). Ergo, in any shelter, there will be lots of black Labs and black Lab mixes. Speaking of which, there’s a misleading point in Cecil’s article. Black coat is indeed dominant over lighter colors, but that in itself doesn’t mean that black would be more common. For comparison, it’s also a dominant trait for humans to have an extra finger, but you don’t see very many six-fingered men running around. However, a purebred dog will be homozygous in all of the genes for significant aspects of its appearance, and in particular, a purebred Lab will be homozygous black. Which means that a mix between a purebred Lab and any other dog will always end up black, no matter what the genetics of the other parent. So as long as there are people maintaining a breeding stock of pure Labs, and as long as some of those end up having bastard puppies that eventually have to be adopted out, there will be a constant supply of black shelter dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/31 "2018-01-09T22:00:59Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Gatopescado; I enjoyed your pictures! Those babies are kissibly cute!! Thanks. Glad you enjoy them. They are my buddies. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/32 "2018-01-09T23:24:53Z")
About black cats, it’s still that whole crap about stealing babies’ breath. I’ve heard it from more than one person. A couple of these folks tried to science it up by saying the cats would smell milk on the babies’ faces and sit on the kids and smother them while licking at the smell. Yeah, that’s a lot more convincing than stealing souls. It’s still all bullshit. And it always seemed to be a concern about black cats more than any other kind. Witches, their familiars and Satan and day care centers…oooooh scary. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/33 "2018-01-09T23:44:09Z")
Apart from witches that transform into cats, aren’t (real) black cats always considered the luckiest and most desirable type of cat by sailors, fishermen, and others that are steeped in folklore and always around a lot of cats? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/34 "2018-01-10T01:17:55Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > For comparison, it’s also a dominant trait for humans to have an extra finger, but you don’t see very many six-fingered men running around. Of course not. Inigo Montoya keeps killing them. ---
**Author:** ![eastcheap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@eastcheap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eastcheap)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2018, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/35 "2018-01-13T15:55:28Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > A couple of these folks tried to science it up by saying the cats would smell milk on the babies’ faces and sit on the kids and smother them while licking at the smell. That _is_ pretty far-fetched. Imagine a cat needing an excuse to sit on someone’s face. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903/36 "2018-01-14T02:29:20Z")
We have a shelter out here that doesn’t like to adopt out black cats around Halloween time b/c they’re afraid the cats will be use in some horrible witchcraft ritual . My daughter and her husband had to convince the shelter they really wanted a black cat for their child b/c their last a cat a black one had dies . They got their black cat ! My last dog was a black Standard Poodle and my hearing dog and some people were really afraid of b/c he was black and he was so well trained strangers could walk over him while he was lying down . We ran into a white standard poodle and the dog almost attacked us when we walked pass it ! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-cat-syndrome/805903.md?page=1)