November is National Pet Awareness Month, which makes it a great time to raise awareness about black cats. Did you know that cats who are black have a much harder time finding homes once they are in shelters? Even though black cats make excellent companions, they often get passed up by potential adopters who are drawn to cats with more interesting markings. It also doesn’t help that black cats are notoriously unphotogenic in a time when online listings are such a popular way for people to search for their future cat. There are a lot of reasons to consider adopting a black cat, but here are 5 quirky facts that make them stand out.
Image Source: Chris Yarzab via Flickr.com
#1 – Some Black Cats Aren’t Actually Black
Even though many cats appear to be truly black, many cats can appear to be black when their coats are actually many colors. That’s because many black cats are the result of a recessive gene that suppresses their inherited tabby patterns. If the pattern isn’t completely suppressed, faint traces can still show up in certain kinds of lighting.
Image Source: Robert Couse-Baker via Flickr.com
#2 – More Than One Breed
According to the Cat Fanciers’ Association, there are 22 breeds of cats that can have coats that are solid black! The Bombay is the only breed, though, that is exclusively black.
Image Source: shira gal via Flickr.com
#3 – There Is a Dominant Gender Amongst Black Cats
Black cats can be either male or female, but black coats are more prevalent in males.
Image Source: Shannon McGee via Flickr.com
#4 – Black Cats Are Better Hunters
Since cats are nocturnal and love to do most of their hunting and exploring at night, it makes sense that black cats would have an advantage. Their prey would never see them coming!
Image Source: Dino Quinzani via Flickr.com
#5 – Most Black Cats Have The Same Eye Color
Because of their high levels of melanin pigment, almost all black cats have yellow or “golden” eyes.