Black Cat Myths and Black Pet Syndrome

Who do voodoo, that black cat crossing in front of you, do.

Our dark, non-photogenic furry friends get a bad rep, but do they deserve it? Where did it come from, and is there any truth to the myths about them?

Black cats have their own almagate of evil tales of dark art aid and bringing good luck to their owners in both iconic form and breed specific reality. Read on to learn more about black animals and their stereotypes, history, and odd anecdotes surrounding their dark furry coats.

Black Cats

Black cauldrons, brooms, and black cats; all symbols to aid the in the witch moniker. Where does the mystery of the black cat come from, how was it used, and what does it really mean? This time of year some shelters even disallow or “pause” adoption of black cats to hedge their adoption in response to the trivial and novel notions of would-be adopters using them for ulterior purposes rather than sincere pet companionship.

Black Cat Symbolism

• Witch companion – Thought to have originated in early North America; this notion consists of black cats aiding as companions to witches practicing dark arts. Many think this is based in the reality of black cats being nearly invisible in the nighttime and therefore lending themselves to obscured activities.
• Bastet the Ancient Egyptian Goddess – Feminine in nature and in early times portrayed as a warlike goddess, she represented grace and playfulness of the feminine nature.
• Bringer of bad luck – A great deal of pop-culture lends itself to this misnomer, but it does have some roots during the black plague that actually contributed to a greater spread of the disease by the culture killing off the cats out of ignorance and fear. It was thought, with the cats, came the disease; when in truth cats (of any color) would have helped prevent the disease by killing the rats, now considered the harbinger of the plague through the fleas that they carried.
• Cat Sith – In the ancient times in scotland it was also thought that a black cat with a spot on its chest known as Sith would steal the souls of the dead before they would make it to the afterlife. To counter this terrifying theft they posted a Feill Fadalach or “Late Wake” to keep the recently departed’s soul safe until a time that it could make it safely to the afterlife. Some of this myth could have been fueled by a real cat breed that was known in scotland made up of part wild cat of the scottish highland hills and the domesticated scottish cat.

Black Pet Syndrome or Big Black Dog Syndrome

Although BBD (Big Black Dog syndrome) has its effects on those luvable dark furry companions, the awareness of this phenomena has made progress in recent years. Simply put, BBD or Black Pet Syndrome dictates that dogs and cats with a larger proportion or all black fur are less likely to find homes than other adoptees.

This is likely because of:

• Poor Photogenics – Black fur reflects less light, especially with poorly lit spaces. Ultimately poor photogenics is to blame for some rather poorly taken or odd looking shots used for adoption photos. Tongue and teeth are sometimes all that can be seen, of that giant smile that hold those pearly whites.
• Hollywood – Many times the portrayal of the certain black breeds of dogs in film and TV lead to a stereotype that has hurt all black coated pets.
• Unseen companions – The often poor lighting and dark spaces in animal shelters makes it harder to see those darker animals that would be otherwise visible if not for their fur. Think product placement like that of food or other marketable items while in the supermarket. Eye level products and bright labels bring more gazing and therefore have higher sales.
• Emotional or Psychological visibility – Again the inability to see those pets emotional state of being because their specific communicating ability is veiled away behind their dark characteristics. Those obscured smiles and faces make it hard for a connection to be made while reviewing your potential new best friend.

Superstition, legend, myths and ignorant bliss get our dark friends overlooked many times more than their lighter brighter counterparts. They have no different needs than any other companion and only wish to be loved and cared for in the same way. We can learn a lot about them by just taking a longer moment and using our eyes and hearts to see them and give them what they need.