News: SPCA

Shelters keep black cats under wraps until after Halloween

Chantal Eustace, CanWest News Service

Published: Monday, October 22, 2007

Black cats are the underdogs of the feline world, especially when it comes to Halloween when the shadowy furballs get associated with things like witches, ghouls and plain old bad luck.

That's why many cat shelters, including the Vancouver SPCA, won't let anyone adopt a black cat during the week leading up to Halloween.

"You never know, so it's best to avoid [potentially bad] situations," said Vancouver SPCA manager Mark Takhar. Some people, he explained, may want a black cat, not as a pet, but because of what it represents.

So as of Wednesday, no one will be able to adopt the eight black cats waiting for new homes, Takhar said. Adoptions will have to wait until after Nov. 1, when the Halloween ban is lifted.

Vancouver's SPCA isn't alone in this cautionary practice. Many humane societies throughout North America do not adopt out black cats around Halloween.

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