Many people probably realise that Halloween is the busiest time of the year for the pet poison hotline. Amongst all the different types of domestic cats that are outside during Halloween the black cat is the most vulnerable. In general we know that as well because people are still superstitious and they still associate the black cat with witchcraft et cetera. It is about time that people disassociated the black cat from Halloween and witchcraft. The following fun video from Cats Protection in the UK may assist:
During Halloween, outside cats can be attacked, poisoned, intentionally burned with chemicals or with inflammable liquids and shot at with pellet guns. Or the mad and bad ones of this world devise a cat punting event. Shocking.
To me, it is also shocking that people have superstitions about black cats. It is such an uninformed and unenlightened idea. All domestic cats no matter what the colour of their coat should be treated completely equally and why not? They all deserve respect and compassion no matter the color or size.
Most concerned cat caretakers will keep their cat companion inside during Halloween. Personally, I don’t think that I will and I’m not being irresponsible. Where I live Halloween is hardly practised and the culture in the area where I live is one which I believe respects the domestic cat and particularly the outside domestic cat. However, that is not to say that in certain parts of the country and in other countries it may be wise to keep your cat inside.
Personally, I dislike Halloween. I dislike all aspects of it. I suppose it is for the children to enjoy and that cannot be denied but other than that I don’t see any benefit to this celebration which is very big in America I understand. As a result it has caught on in the UK.
Halloween is a time when some evil minded people might get the notion into their heads that they can and must be cruel to black cats. It is some sort of stupid perversion. Halloween is a potential catalyst for black cat cruelty and for that reason alone, on a personal level, I would do away with it but no doubt that thought will upset many people because they enjoy it as a holiday. Yes, that’s all well and good but it can’t be that difficult devise another excuse for a holiday rather than Halloween.
Ironically, it is the friendliest of the domestic cats who are the most vulnerable; the most likeable black domestic cat, the cat that goes up to somebody outside, is the most likely to be hurt by an evil minded and superstitious person.
Fortunately, there are many cat caretakers who love black cats and the only cats that they look after are black. Thank God for these people. Rebecca Wilkinson who commented on the picture at the top of the page remarks that she has four black cats. Carol Brandt says she keeps her black cats inside all the time. These are just 2 typical examples. Oh, there is a third: Morgan Freeman has a black cat.
Timi Burgess said: “Black cats are just like any other cats! Beautiful! No magic, bad luck or other form of stupidity is involved.”
It is time for all people to understand that.
I agree. Unfortunately is portion of world population contains idiots 😉
Black cats are adorable and beautiful! Many years ago we adopted two black stray cats. One of them was very sick and only 4 weeks old, the poor thing. But she pulled through and both of them lived to be very old and they were the sweetest souls you could imagene. I can not understant why people harm cats. It’s stupid, mean and despicable!
When I was a kid I didn’t think much about Halloween and I certainly didn’t think about the effect on black cats. Now I don’t see the point in it. Way too commercialized now, and with all the cruelty to black cats wouldn’t bother me to see it abolished. We both know that’s not going to happen.