Black Orchid Enterprises’ intern, Darryl Swann, had an idea for Black Cat Awareness Month. He collected photos of black cats from readers and friends. Gathered together, they make an impressive sight!

1. Mary’s Shadow
2. Paula’s Barnabas, age 14
3. Cat rescuer Melissa’s Cobweb, available for adoption
4. Tony built a seasonal house for Austin
5. Barbara’s black cat farm
6. New foster for adoption from the 4 Pack
7. Cathy’s Ebony, age 17
8. Melissa’s Licorice, available for adoption
9. Janet’s young Queenie
10. Stuart’s Shadow
11. Patricia’s Roxy and her adopters, Thor and Eli
12. Auz takes a ride on Becky’s shoulders
13. More fosters from the 4 Pack
14. Becky’s Summer & Austin, just chilling
15. Pat’s Mama Cat, a stray who came in from the cold. With kittens
16. Carrie’s Emma, age 16, queen of the house
17. Janet’s Ebony, age 16
18. Foster Jean, who says she belongs here because she’s half black and half orange, colors of the season

Thank you to all who sent their photos.

Looking at the collage reminds me of when I was in college. Like I’d done for several Octobers, I collected stray dark cats from neighborhood streets to keep them safe until after Halloween. My college neighborhood was different than where I grew up, and I ended up with more than twenty cats in my garage apartment!

Part of the problem was paying the neighborhood children to find black or dark stray cats for me. I thought they’d be able to cover more territory than I would. I didn’t count on them stealing people’s pet cats. Soon lost cat flyers papered the neighborhood. People were impressed with my detective skills when I reunited so many lost cats with their owners. Since then I work alone.

I don’t know why U.S. culture thinks black cats are bad luck. In many places black cats are considered good luck. In Japan, for example, single women who own black cats are believed to attract more suitors. In parts Great Britain, a black cat as a wedding gift brings good luck and happiness to the bride. I wanted to normalize this tradition, but my friends dissuaded me from taking a kitten to a wedding. I see that you shouldn’t bring an animal to someone unless you know they want one, but at least I can ask, even if people look at me funny.

British sailors believed a black cat would bring the ship good luck and ensure a safe return home. The Scots and the French associate black cats with prosperity. In Germany, a black cat crossing your path means good luck. Maybe if more people knew these things, black cats wouldn’t be the last to be adopted, which is sad, since black (or variations of it) is the most common color in cats. Learn more about black cats here.

And the photos just keep coming in.

1 Lisa’s Adira & Frankie
2 Lisa’s Ninevah
3 Mary’s Princess Fiona & Orion
4 Becky’s Auz
5 Kyle Crew helps with holiday cards
6 Melissa’s foster Inky, available for adoption
7-9 Many faces of Betsy’s Velvet Jones
10-11 Midnight, alwaysSmiling
12 Betsy’s Donal
13 Jennifer’s young voidling Trixie
14 Sydnee’s Aruba
15 Madeleine’s baby Shadow

Black Orchid Enterprises wishes you and your cats a safe, happy Halloween and all its surrounding holidays. Keep the cats indoors. You do whatever you want.