I’ve long heard rumors that bad things can happen to black cats on Halloween, and that shelters won’t allow them to be adopted around this time of year. This post from another thread backs that up.
What I have never heard is any specifics on this. What exactly happens to them? Are black dogs in danger, as well? I have a black cat, being a member of the black cat appreciation society- is it dangerous for me to let him go outside right now? Are people going around looking for black cats outside?
It’s mostly an urban myth. I’m not aware of any cults sacrificing cats. But, there’s always mean kids pulling all sorts of pranks. It wouldn’t hurt to keep the cat indoors halloween. Better safe than sorry.
Animal abuse, basically. People who are nuts or just assholes will sometimes target black cats at halloween (well, all year round, actually) and kill them just to be idiotic.
I know when I had my black cat I never let him out around halloween, just in case.
ETA: I don’t know about the satanic cult angle - I’ve just heard that animals are targeted by morons at this time of year - same as people who egg houses, or toilet paper trees, but with a nasty twist.
The rumor/urban legend is that they’ll be taken by Satanic cults for sacrifice. This gets a big :dubious: from me. Mainly shelters won’t adopt them at Halloween for the same reason they don’t like to adopt out bunnies and chicks at Easter. They’re given as a “how cute!” seasonal gift and then promptly returned or ignored/neglected come November.
I don’t know how much risk owned cats are in. I could see some sadistic kids being more likely to torture one around Halloween. Probably a good idea to keep them in just because there’s a lot more people on the street at Halloween.
I’ve always looked at the cult thing the same way as the “jews eat babies” myths, (in other words, like :dubious: ) but there are always asshole teenagers who would do the tin-cans-on-tails routine, or your odd sadistic child who doesn’t need any halloween-themed cultural help to want to dissect kitties in the basement anyway.
As far as the shelters go, I’m with **GothMama **- there’s no point having someone give out a litter-worth of black kittens as halloween presents when they’re all going to be abused, neglected, abandoned, or given right back to the shelter three days later because no one was in the mood or was ready to deal with the responsibility of having a new pet.
I really don’t understand how people think they can give out animals as holiday gifts - I just don’t get it.
My uncle, who is an otherwise sane and rational man, says that if a black cat crosses his path, he will turn around and take a different route. This really makes me :dubious: .
I am on my third black cat, and have found every one of them to be very affectionate and intelligent and awesome.
My understanding is that shelters don’t have black cats available for adoption in the month or two before Halloween not so much because they’re worried about them being abused, as that they’re worried about them being taken as a “spooky” house decoration, then kicked out to starve on Nov. 1.
My ex boyfriend and I had a black cat for years, and nothing ever happened to the cat around Halloween. We let the cat outdoors, the little shit would terrorize other neighborhood cats, then he’d bring us in a dead bird, business as usual. Halloween was just another day cat-wise.
I’ve heard that in place in Ireland people throw live cats into bonfires. I have no idea why the fuck they do such a thing, but a woman who was running an animal shelter would charge people €200 to adopt a cat at this time of year to dissuade them. I think she actually witnessed one of these bonfire incidents, I do know at Hallowe’en she’d be prowling around her locale looking for bonfires, then ringing the Gardaí so that there would be someone keeping an eye on the revellers.
more or less what I’ve heard. Kind of like bunnies or chicks at Easter; the shelters aren’t afraid that they’ll be “sacrificed,” but that they’re being adopted for the wrong reasons, like having black cats run around the spooky Halloween party.
In my experience, I’d amend that to “every domestic shorthair black cat I’ve met has been friendly and cuddly and awesome.” Our black DLH is a complete prick. Yeah, Persians are icky.
I just saw a news article today on a study that said people impute false personalities on animals based upon coat color. Black cats fare poorly. Can’t find it again, of course.
I have heard this UL from a shelter person, tried not to roll my eyes too hard. I agree with ENugent’s assessment. Also, you do not need to sort your kid’s candy. Candy containing razor blades, poison, etc. is pretty much an urban legend. The few cases it has happened usually involve the parents injuring their own kids for some twisted reason.
I’ll admit that I’m concerned enough about weirdos that the black kitten I found in the parking lot yesterday will be staying with me for a few more days, most likely. That way, I know she’s safe (and our established cat is kept indoors, since I don’t know there aren’t some sickos among the neighbors, and I don’t know that she has the sense to avoid the parking lot people drive too fast in).
Hoping next week shelters will have more room or that I can find the kitten a home. I can’t keep her myself (established cat is seriously upset, and I have lease restrictions to consider).
Our black cat, Piper Grace, is the shyest cat I’ve ever known – she spends most of her day hiding behind the sofa, or right under one of the end tables. If you go near her she bolts. The only time you can pet her is if she comes to you, which she eventually will – but you can’t approach her.
She also has pica. (She eats non-food items) Extremely fucking weird cat, but not evil.
I saw a cat today that wasn’t black, but had bright orange eyes. And s/he was in the shadows, and moving around, and the eyes were orange no matter how the head turned or what it looked at. Orange. ORANGE.
The exact opposite happens here- as a counterbalance to black dog (and cat) syndrome, there is a yearly effort and series of events by shelters encouraging people to adopt black cats/dogs on or around the 31st and spread education on the subject.
