Kittens called T’challa- we’re so here for it.
Black cats have long been seen as ‘bad luck’ and this can often lead to them having trouble getting adopted. However, their luck may be a-changing thanks to box office smash Black Panther.
According to a recent Tumblr post by user gallusrostromegalus (via The Daily Dot), the success of Black Panther is leading to increased adoptions of black cats.
In a follow-up post, the user explained that, according to one of the shelters’ employees, people weren’t seeking out black cats but choosing them because of the movie.
“According to Mary who runs the cattery, these cats are mostly being adopted to people who were looking to adopt *A* cat in general, then see the black kitties and go “LIKE BLACK PANTHER” and take them home, so for once, black cats are being adopted first.’
Could this be the moment lovers of black cats have been waiting for?
It’s not clear whether this trend is spreading across shelters worldwide, but it may indicate a step in the right direction for the forgotten felines who have been subjected to suspicion and abuse for centuries.
Historically, how one views black cats often depends on the part of the world they live in.
Various western cultures, particularly the US, view them as bad luck as they were believed to be shape-shifting witches, although some parts of Britain and Scotland view them as good luck.
Shelters often report lower adoption numbers of black cats, particularly in the US, due to superstitions attached to them.
More: Cats
On the other hand, one UK black cat shelter owner told The Telegraph earlier this year that they’d become less popular due to their unsuitability in selfies.
Who knew it mattered if your pet could pull a duck face?
Christine Bayka, who runs The Moggery rehoming centre in Bristol, told the paper that ‘black cats don’t show up in selfies’ and that it had become more difficult to re-home black cats since selfies became popular.
The sad thing is adoptions of different animals often rise around the time of a film featuring or related to them, only for the trend to stop after the hype dies down.
For the love of cats, please let this time be different!
MORE: Black Panther fans can now ‘catch flights to Wakanda’ from Atlanta airport
MORE: Lupita Nyong’o says Black Panther’s Wakanda is Africa if it had never been colonised
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