There’s a lot more to black cats than people realize.
We’ve reached the end of October here, which means we’ve reached the annual point in the calendar where people become outrageously afraid of black cats (for luck and Halloween purposes). Despite this common consensus, there’s actually a lot more to them than people realize. We’re going to dive into a couple unknown facts about black cats, and even break a historical myth along the way.
The Idea Of Luck
Luck isn’t something you can actually quantify, it’s just a belief. A well-known superstition is that crossing a black cat will lead to bad luck. Some people will legitimately do anything to avoid this scenario. Perhaps it’s the association with witchcraft, or things we see in film that lead to this inherent belief. The truth? This is mainly a superstitious belief only found in the United States. In other parts around the world, specifically European countries, crossing paths with a black cat actually means you’re in for some good luck down the road.
Their Health
When you see a completely black cat, it’s certainly different from the mixed or spotted fur most cats have. They may have some long term benefits because of this though, as this unique mutation comes from the same genetic family known to provide humans with resistance against diseases. Cats already have many similar genetic characteristics when it comes to a comparison between humans. Typically made to be outcasts among other cats, it’s a nice perk that black cats have a stronger defense system.
Eye Color
Black cats are known for melanism, considering they naturally have high levels of melanin pigmentation. It’s the opposite of albinism, and mostly found in males. Melanism leads to black cats having specific yellow irises. It’s a unique feature, and it stands out due to everything else on the body being darker.
Contact Catonsville Cat Clinic Today
For 20 years, the Catonsville Cat Clinic has been providing quality veterinary care to the cats of Catonsville and beyond! Dr. Pam Nesbitt, who purchased the practice in July of 2011, runs the Catonsville Cat Clinic with compassion in mind. A team of professionals with an advanced level of veterinary medicine is at your service to make sure your cat is healthy and happy. So stop on by; we’d love to get to know you and your cat!
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