The reason for this is largely based in superstition. During the middle ages black cats were viewed as part demon and as witches familiars. This lead to people killing cats and not keeping cats as pets, which lead to an increase in the rat populations which carried the plague. This fear of black cats has carried over into todays society and folklore.
While some cultures believe there is luck to be found in black cats, most of the superstitions about them are negative. If a black cat crosses your path, it is supposed to be bad luck. Whether the cat walks towards or away from a person means either good or bad luck. Most people don't admit to believing that black cats are bad luck, there is a large percentage of black cats up for adoption.Black cats are notoriously hard to adopt. This may be due to superstitions or people just not liking the look of a solid colored cat.
Our family has one fantastic black cat, Puma. He came to us three years ago as a young foster kitten. He had been found in parking lot where his family had left him outside of a pet store. Originally he was to go up for adoption, however, he was such a great fit with our family we kept it. He walks on a leash and snuggles under the blankets at night. He is great with our daughters and dog. He is also a good daddy kitty to all the foster kittens that come through our house. He bathes all the babies and can almost always be found playing with them or napping with them.Black cats are just as great as other colored cats and have no negative properties to them. They do not bring good or bad luck, and are not carriers of disease. Next time you are in the market for a kitty, don't skip over the loney black cats at the shelter/adoption facility. Often they are not as friendly because they have been there for so long they are depressed. They are great cats and deserve the same chance as all the fancy breeds.
