Olaf, Fido, Rascal, and Jinxy live inside a cat shelter waiting for a new family to pick them up and take them to a real home, then snuggle up, sleep, scratch some honey, eat and sleep some more. These are not the only things they have in common, these funny kittens attract the attention of people with their same color: black.

Being associated with the darkness of the night does not help your image because the color black has always been associated with evil due to our ancestors’ fear of the night. And the risk of getting more attraction occurs during Halloween celebrations.

Why are you at risk? Simply because, for years, there have been reports of satanic interpretations using innocent animals as sacrificial instruments or spells, thus ending the lives of our little four-legged blacks. Meanwhile, and also cruel, there are high statistics of people who adopt black cats a few days before Halloween, to return them to the shelters saying “sorry, but the kitten did not adapt”.

But to my good surprise, I found out this year that an Idaho shelter is taking what I call “twelve steps back” to prevent these traumas from happening to their black cats; an example that other shelters should follow around the world. How? – The Kootenai Humane Society of Idaho in Coeur d’Alene bans adoptions of black cats from October 29 to November 2, fearing the animals could be abused in Halloween pranks or, worse, euthanized somewhere satanic ritual.

According to a recent Associated Press report, there are agencies that feel this is not a healthy practice for black cats, claiming that it does more harm to animals than it protects them.

“Black cats already suffer a stigma because of their color,” said Gail Buchwald, vice president of adoptions at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals shelters in New York City. “Why punish them more by limiting the times they can be adopted?”

Black cats tend to be adopted less often than other felines, Buchwald said. You are right, because there is also the veil of urban legends around the Halloween festivities and black cats. But anyway, and to quote cat friend Franny Syufy, “It is best to keep all cats indoors during the month of October, regardless of their color, but especially if they are black.”

Some superstitions and myths of black cats:

* If a black cat crosses your path, you will be unlucky.

* If a black cat crosses your path, you will have GOOD luck. (England and Australia)

* In Japan, the Maneki Neko (Beckoning Cat) is considered a symbol of good luck.

* In Russia, your Russian Blue cat breed is also supposed to bring good luck.

* In Latvian tradition, black cats embody the spirit of Rungis, a god of crops, who is good luck for farmers.

* King Charles I of England owned a black cat and the day he died he was arrested. The legend of an old sailor said that meeting cats in the shipyard meant an unpleasant journey of storms or other bad luck.

* In Babylonian folklore, a cat curled up in the home is considered similar to an evil snake.

* It is believed to have nine lives, so it is aligned with the symbolism of nine, a lucky number.

* Some believe that black cats are witches in disguise.

* During the 17th century witch-burning era, witch’s cats were placed in baskets and burned alongside witches.

* Many believe that black cats are relatives of witches. (Beings that help witches to carry out their craft).

* A cat in a grave meant that the soul of the buried person was in the possession of the devil, and if two cats were fighting in a grave, this meant that the devil and the guardian angel of the deceased person were fighting for their soul.

* Fishermen’s wives kept black cats while their husbands went to sea. They believed that black cats would avoid danger from their husbands.

* Some believe that black cats carried demons.

* Some believe that black cats have special powers and abilities.

* To meet a black cat at midnight is to meet Satan.

* The Celts believed that cats were magically human once. Killing a cat brings complete misfortune, while stepping on its tail is also considered misfortune, but to a lesser degree.

* If a black cat suddenly leaves the house of its masters, soon there will be a great disaster in that house.

* Seeing a black cat in your dream could represent bad luck or a warming of something unfavorable in your life could occur.

* The Egyptian goddess Bast had a lion’s head and a cat’s head and was cared for by cats and therefore cats were sacred and revered in Egypt.

* Killing a cat in Egypt was a heinous crime, punishable by death.

* When a domestic cat died, rites of mourning were performed.

* Cats were often found in temples and were ritually fed; The stray cats were treated with honor and fed, and the house cat was allowed to share the family’s food.

* Cat amulets and elaborate cat-sized sarcophagi were produced for cats that had died, which were often embalmed like humans.