Critter talk: Black pets in advance of Halloween-Should you worry?
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Black cats and Halloween. It’s a common point of stress for those who keep them and love them. And yet, there are those who feel that our fear for their safety at this time of the year is not so warranted. They say black pets are not the targets of our communities’ wrath as much as we’d been previously led to believe.
And that’s a good thing, for sure. But is it wishful thinking?
A quick Google search offered the obvious: Black cats should not be left out during this time of the year, and they should be carefully guarded lest Satanic cults target them for sadistic ritualistic murder.
Yes, even I’ve been known to urge owners of black pets to keep their pets indoors during the month of October. Why take the risk?
Yet Snopes and other fact-checking parties have come to the conclusion that there is little evidence to support modern rumors of mutilation and generalized bad behavior perpetrated against black pets in advance of [and especially on] All Hallows Eve. In fact, there are no stats to indicate greater animal abuse (of any color) during this time of the year. It’s all anecdotal.
But that doesn’t mean black pets get a pass year-round.
Indeed, two years ago, the Associated Press offered us a story on the sad state of affairs regarding unwarranted fear of big black dogs. Apparently there’s something about these guys — or about us — that makes us more likely to cringe when we see one headed our way during a sidewalk stroll.
Similarly, black cats are more likely to earn a wary look.
Yet, what’s more alarming than just basic black pet angst is that adoption rates at shelters are statistically lower for these pets (dogs and cats) than for others.
Though no one keeps firm stats on pet colors in shelters, black cats and black dogs are anecdotally reported to be harder to place. According to the ASPCA, shelter workers call the canine version “big black dog syndrome.”
If we’re to believe this (and I have little doubt it’s true), what is it that makes us fearful?
Is it the actual aggressive tendencies of traditionally black dogs like Dobermans and Rottweilers? The lack of attractive coloration among the cats? Or is it more likely a purely human phenomenon?
If the latter, is there something hard-wired into our brains on the issue of color, as it has been postulated to explain our common fear of spiders and snakes? Or is it more likely the result of sensitization to the aggressive traits of certain breeds? Perhaps it’s a cultural bias left over from our witch-hunting days?
Though I can’t answer these questions any more than the ASPCA could in the AP report, I do know one thing: Those of us who are more likely to think rationally on the issue of coloration should actively seek to adopt dark colored dogs and cats.
If we know the rest of the world has a distaste for them, it behooves us to take it upon ourselves to increase adoptions, if possible, and leave the lighter ones behind for the less enlightened among us to snap up.
But then, that doesn’t exactly help us sort out what we should do with our black pets during the Halloween season.
Here’s my solution: Keep all of your pets indoors. Better yet, keep them with you at all times. I mean, who wants to live outside the presence of their loved ones, anyway?
Many thanks to Dr. Patty Khuly
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Well, our little Quirt stays inside all the time. Rascal, who started out all black has been adding some gray and white as he has aged (kind of like his master (or servant, however you want to look at it). Also, no one in my neighborhood has the guts to come on my property because Rascal hates people in general and everyone knows it. I have to put my trash can on the street so the neighborhood kids can tip it over because they can’t come to the door for treats.
We used to have problems with cat mutilations a few years back at Halloween. No so anymore. But with the economy our shelters are full to overflowing. Now you can adopt a pet for a donation of a can of food for the food bank.
My cat is black. She is a hellion though.
I am keeping all of my creatures inside (if possible) and locking the gates this Halloween, like always.
Many people I personally know refuse to own a black animal. My friend, an intelligent, respectable older lady who can fix anything and is the closest thing to a real-life Martha Stewart I’ve ever met, brought a black kitten to me which was so malnourished that he weighed less than a rolled up tube sock.
“Oh no- do you need food for him?” I asked. She had no pets of her own.
“No, I’m not sure what to do, the shelter can’t take him. I don’t want him either.”
By this time I was holding the poor creature, and it was purring loudly. “It seems so sweet, why don’t you want him?” (She had obviously cared enough to rescue him from the field where he was abandoned.)
Unable to hide the disgust and disbelief in her voice, she said (quite unashamed!) “Ugh- he’s BLACK!” like that was all the explanation I would ever need.
Seriously, this phobia about black animals stretches through the whole economic continuum. The shelter here won’t adopt black pets out during October for fear something will happen to them.
My spouse and I do feline rescue in our low-income neighborhood. As most would figure, the number of adult cats being abandoned have sky-rocketed as people move or get evicted.
We try hard to adopt out all the cats and kittens. Adult cats are the hardest to find homes for, so sadly most of them are still in our care, but live outside as we do not have the room to house the roughly 25 adult cats that have taken up residence around our property.
As for black cats and kittens..no one ever wants one of those. So, we currently have five, count em, five black cats/kittens in our home itself. We do bring all kittens into the house as they are usually born to feral females which we do get spayed after they have their litters…as long as we can trap and/or domesticate the mothers. All cats/kittens get ‘fixed’ by a wonderful group called The Cat People,who pays for the procedures for us.
This was a good read, thanks for posting on this subject.