Do people truly make real-life decisions based on superstitions? According to studies by Peta, black cats tend to get the cold shoulder at shelters.
Peta’s study states that out of the 4 million felines living in animal shelters, roughly 71 percent of them are euthanized. They alluded that most of these cats are, in fact, black.
The debate on black cats has been a long-standing argument for a while now. If you search the Internet for answers, you’re likely to be met with myth-busting articles and Reddit forums galore.
People are merely curious to learn if our colorism even extends to the pets we choose. While it’s not evident whether or not black cats are distinctly left behind compared to their lighter-colored counterparts, researchers have tried to study it.
Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley conducted an online survey surrounding bias and cat colorings. The personality traits were to be associated with statements like “white cats are friendly,” via a seven-point scale.
A press release for the study noted that although black cats were not rated particularly lower or higher than say, orange and bi-colored cats, it was still noted that “people’s perception of the interaction between personality and coat color might play a part.”
The Berkeley research noted that 94.7 percent of respondents said that personality influences their decision to adopt. However, the character of an animal might be less important to prospective adopters than they are aware of.
After all, if this were true, the long-used term, ‘black cat syndrome,’ wouldn’t still be floating around in 2019. The moral of the story is this: Just as we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, we shouldn’t judge an animal by its color.
If you’re looking for a new companion, you can foster or adopt a furry friend by visiting your local shelter. Remember not to skim over the black ones — you could be missing out on a lifetime of happiness.
Elise Gray 