Black Cats Are Good Kitties Too: MSPCA Dispels Spooky Myths In Salem

SALEM, MA — Many myths surround black cats and their penchant for nefarious behavior around Halloween but one unfortunate reality is that those looking to adopt a new kitty will often shy away from them for no reason other than the color of their fur.

These false beliefs — even as irrational as they may seem — even cause many shelters to stop showing them for adoption in the weeks leading up to Halloween.

But the MSPCA is looking to battle the black cat backlash in the very place where some of the craziest hysteria in history took place more than 300 years ago with a special adoption event in the Witch City of Salem and its three other shelter locations.

"This season tends to evoke more of these dangerous misconceptions, which often lead to worse outcomes for cats," MSPCA Vice President of Animal Protection Mike Kieley said. "So, we want to get out there loudly and early to tell people the truth: Black cats are equally deserving of love as any other animals in shelters, and that remains true regardless of the time of year.

"We would never consider stopping black cat adoptions, even at our Salem shelter, which is in arguably the spookiest, most witchy city in the country, if not the world. Whether in Salem or somewhere else, people aren't motivated to adopt black cats around Halloween."

The MSPCA has about 40 black cats up for adoption across its shelters in Salem, Boston, Methuen and Cape Cod.

Kieley said misconceptions go beyond the vague fear of bad luck when a black cat crosses their path, and include notions that they are adopted to be used in bizarre rituals and that those who do adopt them in October often return them right after Halloween the way some think people return bunny rabbits after Easter and many other pets after giving them as Christmas gifts.

"We just don't see them returning the animals to shelters afterward in the numbers that people believe to be true," Kieley said. "What remains true, and what should be celebrated, is that the vast majority of people coming to adopt have good intentions and want to help us in our mission of finding every homeless pet a new home."

MSPCA-Angell and the Northeast Animal Shelter are holding a "Purranormal Cativity" fee-free adoption event for certain cats starting Tuesday and running through Friday in hopes of finding some of these kitties forever homes and clearing shelter space for what is expected to be a large influx of rescue pets from Southern states following the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

"We know that a lot of shelters in areas we regularly work with, like Florida and South Carolina, will be impacted, and we want to be in a position to help," Keiley said. "In order to do that, we need to find homes now for some of the cats that tend to stay in our shelters longer."

Cats whose adoption fees will be waived include those with specific medical or behavioral needs, as well as older cats.

Those eligible will have stars on their adoption profiles here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)