Black cats, false myths and beliefs

Black cats are often unfairly labelled as being bearers of bad luck, alongside other false beliefs associated with the colour of their coat. This results in their adoption rate being lower than that of other cats as they are not as popular. To address this, we would like to give you a series of good reasons why black cats can be perfect pets.

Do black cats bring bad luck?

Even today, there is still a superstition around black cats and luck. In fact, in our country, as well as in the rest of Continental Europe and the United States, coming across a black cat is seen as a bad sign. However, in the UK, it is synonymous with good luck. Obviously, this superstition depends a lot on the individual person. Nevertheless, it is true that there are many people who believe in the unfortunate reputation that accompanies black cats. (Morris, 2010).

In fact, it is said that the owner of a restaurant south of Naples saw a black cat cross the road in front of his car when returning home in the middle of the night. He immediately parked at the side of the road, as he did not wish to continue unless the cat returned to undo the bad luck. Shortly afterwards, the police noticed him and asked what he was doing parked there at that time of night. When he told them why, the officers gave in to the superstition too and waited with him for the cat to return. (Morris, 2010).

Are they easy to adopt?

Whether or not you believe in this superstition, what is clear is that being black does not help cats when it comes to adoption. There are several studies that suggest that colour is not important when a pet is chosen from a shelter (Podberscek and Blackshaw, 1988), but the reality is that black and brown cats are adopted less than those with lighter coats, whether white, colourpoint or grey (Lepper et al., 2002). And even if they are finally adopted, they usually remain longer in the shelter before someone chooses them, even when they are kittens (Kogan et al., 2013; Brown and Morgan, 2015).

Adoption difficulties relating to colour is not exclusive to cats – it also affects dogs to the extent that people refer to “black dog syndrome” (Kogan et al., 2013). And, aside from superstitions, it is also believed that black cats can pose obstacles to adoption because they are very difficult to photograph. Many shelters use photos posted on the Internet to advertise the animals they have available (Kogan et al., 2013). Black-furred animals tend to be disadvantaged by the problems involved in photographing them.

Tips. Photographer Casey Elise Christopher has debunked the belief that black cats are difficult to photograph. Her series of portraits of black cats in West Los Angeles served to raise awareness of the low adoption rates and high euthanasia rates suffered by these animals in the city.

Tips. In the UK, National Black Cat Day is celebrated. It occurs on 27 October, and is a way to pay tribute to this feline that raises so many conflicting feelings. The purpose is to encourage adoption.

Does their black colour influence their personality?

An animal’s behavioural tendencies depend on many factors, one of which is its genetics. This is why, for example, Siamese cats demand more attention and vocalise more than other breeds, and why some behavioural problems are more frequent among certain breeds of cats (Turner and Bateson, 2000).

Considering that genetics can be important when determining an animal’s behaviour, many authors suggest that cats that have the non-agouti allele (which often corresponds to black fur) in their genetics (Elzirik et al., 2013), are likely to be more gregarious, and are more tolerant of the presence of other cats. In contrast, cats with the agouti allele have been found to have a greater tendency for aggression towards other cats (Wilhelmy, et al. 2016).

The more tolerant attitude of cats with non-agouti allele would allow them to adapt more easily to overpopulated conditions, which are often found in cities (Robinson, 1977; Todd, 1977), and could explain why there are many cats with these genetics in large cities (Lloyd and Todd, 1989). In fact, in cities, cats that reproduce more successfully, and therefore have more possibilities of transmitting their genetic information, tend to be among the most tolerant towards the presence of other males.

The reason for this is that those that are very aggressive towards other cats spend more time fighting than on reproductive tasks (Natoli and De Vito 1991), while the most tolerant sit and wait their turn to be able to mate with a female cat on heat. However, there are still no studies to confirm whether the supposed greater tolerance towards their fellow cats is due to the fact that they possess the non-agouti allele.

Tips. The agouti allele found today in the genetics of domestic cats with a tabby pattern on their coat comes from the genetics of the African wild cat, the ancestor of our cats. Its presence determines the alternation of light- and darker-coloured bands on each coat. The non-agouti allele has appeared due to a mutation of the agouti allele, and its presence determines solid colours in the coat, for example, all black or all grey. However, in ginger or cream-coloured cats, the non-agouti allele does not occur, and a tabby pattern on the coat is still seen.

Moreover, studies exist on the relationship between coat colour and aggressive tendencies towards people in three different situations: in everyday life, in a veterinary clinic and during certain handling procedures, such as punishment, petting or grooming (Stelow et al., 2015).

The results show that, in general, cats that owners have described as more aggressive have been bi- or tri-coloured females (tortoiseshell, calico and torbie), black and white cats (especially males) and white and grey cats, while black cats have not stood out as cats with aggressive tendencies in any of these situations.

However, as this is a survey rather than a direct assessment of cat behaviour, its results may be affected by the assessment criteria of each owner. So, before affirming a clear relationship between coat colour and temperament, further studies would be necessary. In fact, a test compared the reaction of solid-coloured cats with that of cats of the same colour but spotted with white, and no relationship was detected between coat colour and temperament (Munera, 2010).

Tips. A study carried out on 84 British Shorthair kittens revealed that ginger, cream and tortoiseshell felines take longer to calm down when handled by a stranger, and make more attempts to escape than kittens of other colours (Mendl and Harcourt, 2000).

There is, therefore, no definitive answer as to whether there is a relationship between the colour of a cat’s fur and its temperament, but there are some hypotheses as to why such a relationship might exist. According to the first of these, there may be a relationship between coat colour and temperament, since the pigment in skin and fur, called melanin, and some substances that regulate the activity of the nervous system, such as dopamine, have a precursor in common (Hemmer, 1990). Thus, the genes that regulate the production and use of this common precursor could affect both nervous activity and behaviour, as well as the colour of the animal’s fur.

According to another hypothesis, the relationship could be of a different nature: in the animal’s chromosomes i.e. the structures that contain its genetic information, the genes related to fur colour could be found close to those that control some functions of the nervous system. So, due to proximity, there is a high probability that they are inherited together. This is the type of relationship that has been observed between white cat fur and a greater probability of suffering from deafness in one or both ears (Hemmer, 1990).

7 benefits of having a cat

Although, for whatever reason, many people may hesitate to adopt a black cat, the truth is that these felines can become the ideal pet, with good socialisation and training. So why not give them a chance? Independent of colour, they offer many benefits, such as:

1. If you have children, they will have less chance of suffering from allergies and asthma, since they usually develop an immunological tolerance to cats.

2. In addition, felines can be a very important support when we go through bad times. Did you know that 67% of owners say that their cat is always there when they need it?

3. Cats also keep our health in good shape by helping to relieve stress and mitigate the negative symptoms of psychological distress.

4. Having a cat is associated with a lower cardiovascular risk. The reason for this is that owners of this animal tend to have lower blood pressure and levels of triglycerides, and their heart responds better to stressful situations.

5. Felines also help us improve our physical state in terms of cardiovascular and mental health.

6. The company they provide is incomparable. In fact, 83% of owners say that having a cat makes them feel less lonely.

7. And, last but not least, they have a very positive effect on our levels of wellbeing, because the simple fact of observing cats makes us happy and does us good.

Bibliography

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