In ancient Egypt they were revered as descendants of the gods, while sailors believed them to be good luck charms and in Feng Shui they are seen as warding off negative energy.

So why do rescue centres find it so much harder to find homes for black cats? Charlotte Phillips reports…

While it seems like a trivial factor, the colour of a cat's fur can play a huge role in how long it takes for them to find a home.

The RSPCA, the largest animal welfare charity in the UK, says it can take black cats more than three times longer to find homes than other colours.

While superstitions are thought to be a factor, the rise of social media is also feared to be contributing to monochrome moggies being passed over, because they simply “don’t look good” in Instagram photos.

Kathryn Davenport, cattery intake coordinator at Battersea Brands Hatch, near Ash, admits the charity finds it “harder” to promote their black cats online.

She explained: “We don’t see too much of the superstition stuff anymore but it is harder to promote black cats online because the photos don’t come out as nicely.

“It’s so hard to show people how gorgeous they are until people meet them in person and then they fall in love with them.

“Trying to put across the cat’s personality initially is a little bit harder, but once people have met them and opened their hearts to them they realise they’re just as lovely as the others.

“I think people can be drawn to the more unique coloured cats like the gingers and the tabbies naturally and would just prefer a more fancy colour.

“But we try and tell people not to take them at face value.”

In many cultures, black cats are seen as lucky and even divine creatures.

In Japan, one crossing your path is seen as fortuitous, while in Italy, hearing a sneezing black cat is seen as a good omen.

In Norse tradition, they are thought to herald a good harvest.

In ancient Egypt, they were actually considered divine symbols – descendants of the goddess Bastet and which had supernatural powers.

But in Britain, medieval superstitions persist that they bring bad luck, not helped by their associations with witches and Satan.

The RSPCA says, on average, it takes black cats 29 days to find a home in comparison to grey tabby cats which are rehomed in just nine days.

There are also more black and black and white cats in the charity’s care than any other coat colour, with more than 5,000 coming into its national centres since 2020.

In December, a carrier containing three freezing-cold black kittens was found dumped outside Chatham railway station.

The 12-week-old kittens were discovered without food and water.

The charity believes the higher number of black cats ending up at rescues and their longer length of stay could be as a result of the myths surrounding them.

It said: “Worryingly, 82% of national RSPCA centres have heard potential adopters share the myth that black cats are unlucky, which makes rehoming them even more challenging.”

Rachel Stevens, deputy manager at Cats Protection Bredhurst, says last year it took around 20 more days for black cats to get adopted than other cats.

In 2023, the centre rehomed 370 cats in total, 79 of which were black.

From the day they were fit to home, it took on average 44 days for the black ones to get rehomed – in comparison to the 21 days for the other colours.

Rachel explained: “Most of the time when we have a litter of kittens, there’s normally one really ‘pretty’ one that gets all the inquiries and then the black ones are left.

“It’s odd because we do get people that come in and say they don’t want a black one, but we also get other people who are the opposite and want a black one specifically because they know they’re less likely to be adopted.

“No one’s openly said they don’t want a black one because they can’t take a picture of it, but whether or not they’re thinking it I don’t know.

“It’s more so because there are more favourable colours to some people.”

There are stereotypes that black cats are less friendly, more aggressive, and unlucky.

To help try and reduce the stigma, Cats Protection runs an annual campaign, National Black Cat Day, on October 27.

Its aim is to “help celebrate the majesty of monochrome moggies and beautiful black cats”.

There are a number of black cats who are looking for homes at the RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre.

Mabel has been at the Kent branch since November 1 after coming from a multi-cat household of 37 cats.

She will need to be rehomed alongside another cat, Grace.

The pair are looking for owners who can accommodate their needs and care for them without putting any demands or expectations on them.

The centre believes they would suit someone who has either a small holding farm, an unused summer house or similar in their garden, or someone who has a very quiet home with plenty of space who can become their “cat guardian”.

They will need an adult-only home and a home with no other cats. Adoption inquiries can be made here.

Dominika Jagoda, scientific and policy officer for the companion animals department at the RSPCA, said: “In truth, black cats won’t bring you bad luck, but they do need forever homes.

“The colour of an animal’s fur makes no difference to how much love they have to give.

“If you can bring some magic into their lives they are sure to bring some love into yours – so they even make your lucky day.”