Why has a city in Spain temporarily banned the adoption of black cats?
Terrassa has issued a municipal order for its animal shelters that lasts until 1 November
Rumour has it that black cats bring bad luck and even represent the devil. They certainly have a bad reputation and some people avoid them on the street. This particular colour of cats has been associated with witchcraft and evil. Their latest association is with a municipal order in the Catalan city of Terrassa, which has banned the adoption of black cats until after Halloween. Why? In a few words, to avoid macabre rites.
From 1 October until 1 November, residents cannot adopt black cats from animal shelters. This is a preventive measure, at the request of the animal shelter themselves. Although there have been no reports of slaughter or macabre mistreatment, they have noticed an increase in the number of requests for black cats around Halloween in recent years.
In the most extreme case, the requests might be coming from satanic groups looking to summon the devil by using a black cat's blood on the night of the dead. In the less sadistic case, it could be parents who want to satisfy their children's whims by using cats as props for Halloween decorations. There are people for everything.
To avoid odd behaviour of any sort, the city council has decided to ban the adoption of black cats until Halloween is over and limit "superstitions, ritualistic or irresponsible uses".
According to municipal sources, there are no documented cases of animal abuse on Halloween, but there have been complaints on the night of San Juan when reckless individuals commit outrageous acts with fireworks leading to animal abuse.
The moratorium on adopting black cats lasts a month. During this period, animal shelters will register any adoption applications and reevaluate them once the ban has been lifted. "This measure is strictly preventive and temporary in nature and does not imply any discrimination in relation to the colour or characteristics of the animals, but rather an additional protective measure aimed at guaranteeing their welfare," the city council states.
The residents of Terrassa who are not aware of the moratorium and go to an adoption centre to ask for a black cat in particular will be informed of the campaign to "raise public awareness of the respect and protection of animals". They should know that adopting an animal implies a responsible and lasting commitment and that a cat is not a "disposable" animal. After Halloween, shelters will return to their normal adoption and fostering procedures. However, the city council is taking the measures adopted this year as a pilot test. After Halloween, authorities will evaluate the effectiveness of the measures to decide whether to apply them in the future.
