Black cats: How superstitious beliefs affect the adoption process

MONTREAL -

You're walking home on a dark October night when a shadowy figure suddenly cuts across your path: a black cat.

To some, this moment is a sign of bad luck or impending doom -- enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

To others, it's simply a cat trying to get from one side of the street to the next.

Either way, the black cat's association with Halloween, witchcraft and superstition is something we're all familiar with.

But according to one Montreal cat rescuer, this attitude towards so-called 'house panthers' can actually show up in the adoption process.

"I have people that say, 'Do you have kittens, I'm looking for kittens -- anything but black,'" says Lynn Drysdale, owner and operator of Montreal Cat Adoptions, a rescue founded in 2013.

While some adopters simply don't want to trip over their pet when it's dark, others cite superstitious beliefs, Drysdale says.

But in her eyes, a black cat is no different from a tabby, orange, or calico kitty -- in reality, it all comes down to the individual animal.

"When you get to know them, that's when you see their special personality."

Drysdale says any prospective owner who comes across an adoptable black cat should try and put their preconceived notions aside.

Better yet, she says adopters should give senior cats and cats with health issues a chance, as these cats struggle to find homes the most.