At Sanicat, October was about celebrating Black Cat Awareness Month and promoting the idea that all breeds deserve a loving home. Throughout the month, we’ve been sharing stories from our followers of black cats who’ve brought good luck, love and happiness into their families’ homes and hearts.
Black cats have developed an unnecessarily bad reputation for bringing bad luck and, because of this, are often the last to be adopted. But after hearing so many heart-warming stories of how black cats have changed their owners' lives for the better, we know this isn’t true. Black cats deserve just as much love as any other cat.
Thank you to all our followers across Europe and Latin America who participated in our Black Cat Awareness campaign by sharing your stories with us. We loved reading and sharing each one of them.
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8 stories about black cats and how they changed their families’ lives for the better
We received loads of stories from our followers—from feisty rescued kittens to lockdown companions, family protectors and childhood friends. Here are eight of our favourite tales from black cat parents.
Meet Lucky, Kyūbi, Poggie, Wandajon, Bailey, Capucin, Feline, Cloë and Furia:
1. Black cat love in lockdown 🐈⬛
After moving from her native Venezuela to a neighbourhood in the outskirts of Barcelona, Maria found herself sharing a flat with another woman and her cat, Lucky. Having been a parent to two Golden Retrievers, Maria was more of a dog person and hadn’t lived with a cat before. But love comes in all shapes and sizes, she thought.
Soon after moving in, Spain declared a State of Emergency and a national lockdown. Her flatmate had to leave to take care of her family, so Maria stayed there alone with her new feline friend.
Maria now had to face the uncertainty of quarantine in an unfamiliar place along with being alone in a new home, city, country and ultimately, new life. But she wasn’t alone. Lucky was there, and ended up giving Maria what she needed most: love.
And love really does come in all shapes and sizes ❤️
2. Kyūbi, a protector and life compass 🧭
Kyūbi was adopted by her family from a cat colony just a month into lockdown. Since then, she’s helped her owner, Noelia, overcome many difficult situations, including the death of her grandmother.
But she’s also become her family’s compass whenever they have doubts. From deciding what to eat, what plans to make or what movie to watch, they put the decision in front of her and let her choose. So far, Kyūbi has made only good choices, as well as encouraged her family to get out of their comfort zone and start new hobbies like dancing.
Her name, Kyūbi, comes from one of Japan’s protective kitsune. Kyūbi is a protector following an old legend that Noelia's grandmother used to tell her before going to sleep:
There was a young mother who was rejected by her family as she was single and couldn't get a job, which meant she had no money to pay someone to look after her baby. One day, a black cat crossed her path. He was also rejected so she felt a special connection and took him home. Then they both felt accepted.
3. A constant companion 🐈⬛
Nine years ago, someone left five tiny cats outside Sara’s workplace—four red and one black. When Sara saw the black cat, she knew she needed to take her home, especially after all her siblings were adopted and she was left alone. Many said getting a black cat would bring Sara bad luck, but Poggie changed her life for the better.
When Sara took Poggie home, where she had recently moved in with her boyfriend, the first few days were packed with fun surprises. Neither had lived with a cat before.
Poggie always runs to the door to greet them when they arrive home, keeps them company when watching football on TV, enjoys their end-of-year parties and even travels with them by car and train.
Whether they’re cooking, reading, studying, working, watching TV, sleeping, going on vacation or even going to the bathroom, Poggie is always there—making her family feel loved every day.
Since she’s come into their lives, Sara’s boyfriend has graduated (with Poggie there throughout the whole thesis writing process) and found a job. And they’ve had a beautiful little girl who also adores her.
Poggie is a very special cat who has filled her family’s life with joy and love, and they all feel really lucky to have found her ❤️
4. The power of black cat cuddles 😻
Wandajon is Laura's second black cat. Both times Laura has owned a black cat, good things have happened to her.
With Wandajon, Laura found peace in her life after a challenging period of stress—he cured her with his cuddles and affection!
And in the same year, Laura was also able to buy a BMW 1 Series. Black cats only bring good luck!
5. Black cat survivor 🐈⬛
After days of hearing meowing coming from a nearby garage, María Luisa and her family finally found the owner to go in and investigate. The source of the noise was a tiny black kitten, about a month old, hiding inside the car’s engine. His mother must have run off, and the little kitten found shelter in the warm engine.
What a survivor!
They decided to welcome him into their home and he quickly crawled into the entire family’s hearts. His early solo survival adventures gave him a strong character—and a loud meow whenever he wanted something! He was also always making a mess in the house by playing with any rubber band or cable he could find. Bailey loved to hide in dark corners or inside the closet among the sweaters. The softness made him comfortable and cosy!
Bailey loved going out on adventures to visit the neighbours and play outside. But he’d always return!
When working from home, Bailey would sit right next to María Luisa’s computer, calling for attention and cuddles.
While he’s no longer physically with María Luisa and her family, Bailey’s presence is always felt, and they miss him dearly.
Black cats deserve just as much love as any other cat, with Bailey bringing so much joy into María Luisa’s house ❤️
6. Finding a home at the farm 🐈⬛🏠
Growing up on a farm in France, Aurélie was always surrounded by cats. Some were born on the farm, so Aurélie and her siblings would run around searching for the secret spot where the mom hid her kittens. Others would appear out of nowhere and hang around for a few days or months at a time.
One of the cats to stick around was Capucin—the sweetest, most loving black cat that quickly made his way into Aurélie’s heart. He became her favourite and was the one she’d spend the most time with, taking many selfies together in the garden!
After a while, Capucin stopped his wanderings as he had found a permanent home and a loving family. They spent many years creating beautiful memories together on the farm 😻
7. Twice the black cat love 🐈⬛🐈⬛
Laura has two beautiful black cats: Feline & Cloë.
Feline, almost four years old, was a stray from a shelter. At first, she was anxious about everything. But now, while still afraid of a few things, she’s calmed down a lot, knowing that Laura is there for her. She’ll even sit on your lap!
Cloë came to Laura when she was already a year old, after roaming the streets and hopping between a shelter and foster home. She has many health problems and is very shy around people, but is slowly improving. Cloë knows that her owners only want the best for her and is happiest when outside in the secluded garden.
Both Feline and Cloë are really affectionate cats (as you can see in the photo, they even cuddle with our dog!) and are now thriving after a rough start to their lives 😻
8. The rescue kitten that never left
Nicol would often pick up tiny kittens from the street and look after them in her room until they got adopted. She tried her best not to bond with the kittens as it hurt too much when they’d eventually find a new home—even though it was for their own good. Plus, her mom only allowed her to care for one kitten at a time.
During a sad stage in her life, Nicol was walking one night under a giant moon in May, asking the moon for a kitty to fill the emptiness inside her chest. Their cuteness is usually a great distractor.
After walking two blocks, Nicol found a small black kitten trying to defend herself from a dog. Nicol quickly grabbed her away from the dog—luckily, she was small enough to hold in one hand. But she also tried her best to jump away while throwing little attacks, so Nicol named her Furia, meaning rage.
Little by little, Furia began to win over Nicol's heart. However, her mom kept saying that black cats were devilish and scary. But Nicol just couldn’t imagine not having Furia around. Luckily, she soon won the whole family over too, and Furia became the rescue kitten that never left.
There’s no shortage of love when there’s a black cat around
You’re pretty lucky if you’re a black cat parent. Every day, you get to experience the love, joy and happiness that black cats bring into your home.
If you’re looking to adopt a new feline friend, we urge you to look towards the beautiful black cats that are often the last to find homes. For all the black cat owners out there, keep spreading awareness that all breeds deserve a loving home.