National Black Cat Day & National Black Cat Appreciation Day

A pet holiday so nice that it’s celebrated THREE times during the year, mark your calendar for National Black Cat Appreciation Day and National Black Cat Day (celebrated on different days in the US and in the UK), all tributes to our ebony-coated kitty companions.

When Are National Black Cat Day and National Black Cat Appreciation Day?

Well, the answer to that question depends on where you are when you are asking! The US and the UK dates differ.

In the US, there are two black cat holidays:

• August 17: National Black Cat Appreciation Day
• November 17: National Black Cat Day

In the UK, there is one black cat holiday:

• October 27: National Black Cat Day

Cats Protection— the UK’s leading cat welfare charity– launched October 27 every year as National Black Cat Day.

No matter which day you prefer to profess your profound admiration for house panthers, everyone who has ever let a cat with an ebony coat into their heart knows that EVERY day is National Black Cat Day!

Why do we need so many black cat holidays?

Sadly, statistics state that homeless black cats are the last in line to be adopted, and they face their fate in shelters at a higher rate than other cats.

Why? One possible reason may be superstition (although, unlike in the United States, black cats are considered symbols of good luck in Japan, Russia and England), or the fact that their dark fur makes it less likely for their expressive faces to show up in shelter photographs.

To help change the fortune of felines with black fur, many shelters and rescue organizations host special fundraisers, and offer potential pet parents the chance to adopt their own house panther at a reduced rate.

Whether you have adopted a black cat because you know the problems they face finding pet parents, or because you fell in love with their beauty both inside and out, if a black cat has enriched your life by crossing your path, let us know!

Although they are considered signs of good luck in the UK, our black purring pals who live across the pond are also plagued by difficulties when it comes to finding forever families to love. To combat misconceptions in a comical way, Cats Protection released the following video for National Black Cat Day in the UK:

Famous Fans of Black Cats

Are you the proud pet parent of a house panther? Following are just a few of the famous faces whose lives have been enriched by a black cat who has crossed their path:

Marian Anderson

A ground-breaking performer who made history with her rendition of “My County, ‘Tis of Thee” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the contralto spoke and sang of her love for her cat Snoopy in her 1963 album Snoopycat: The Adventures of Marian Anderson’s Cat Snoopy.

John Lennon

The fact that the Beatle was a father to multiple felines, including a black cat named Salt, is music to our ears.

Henri Matisse

Cats star is several of the great artist’s works, including the 1910 painting Girl with a Black Cat. Is the coal-coated kitty who is contentedly curled up in the lap of Matisse’s daughter Marguerite the family’s black cat, La Puce?

Simon Tofield

A pet parent to four felines, two of them noir beauties named Teddy and Hugh, the creator of Simon’s Cat joined with Cats Protection for Black Cat Awareness Day in the UK to draw attention to adorable adoptable black cats who have not been able to find forever homes.

Mark Twain

The friendship between the acclaimed author and his black cat was immortalized in a children’s book titled Bambino and Mr. Twain.

Twiggy

The fashion icon showed the world that trends may come and go, but compassion never goes out of style when she teamed up with Cats Protection for Black Cat Awareness Day. Speaking about her black cat Titania, the supermodel stated that she “is a brilliant friend and she brightens up my life. I call her my lucky black cat and I adore her.”

P.G. Wodehouse

The witty writer who brought Wooster and Jeeves to life offered a second chance at life to number of cats. A black cat and a tuxedo cat were among the felines who became part of his fur family, and the acclaimed author’s admiration for both Fidos and felines prompted Wodehouse to donate a parcel of land to the no-kill shelter Bideawee in 1956, and to found the now defunct P.G. Wodehouse Animal Shelter in the early 1970s.

Frank Zappa

The musician struck a pose with his black-furred buddy for the cover of his album London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2.

UK Celebrity Support for National Black Cat Day

Joining the paws cause, several celebrities who have opened their home and heart to a black cat joined Cats Protection and helped spread the word about National Black Cat Day:

Twiggy

Twiggy is an icon in the fashion world, and a role model in the world of animal welfare. A photogenic fan of Fidos and felines, the former catwalk queen– who recently used her star wattage to shine a spotlight on Retired Greyhound Trust– confided to Cats Protection that her 15-year-old black cat Titania “is a brilliant friend and she brightens up my life. She’s part of the family. I call her my lucky black cat and I adore her. I hope Cats Protection’s Black Cat Awareness Day prompts more people to bring a black cat into their life.”

Author Jilly Cooper

A recipient of an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for her best-selling page-turners– Jilly Cooper has no doubt found that life with black cats have added exciting chapters to her life.

The proud parent of both a black- and-white cat and a black cat named Feral, Cooper states that “I would recommend black cats warmly – they have a sense of humour and a sense of independence and yet have so much love to give.”

David Schneider

A 7-year-old black cat named George– who was adopted from Cats Protection in 2005– has a starring role in the life of comic actor David Schneider, who stood up on October 27th for all the black cats without homes.

Whether you have adopted a black cat because you know the problems they face finding pet parents, or because you fell in love with their beauty both inside and out, if a black cat has enriched your life by crossing your path, let us know!

Lucy Pinder

Speaking out about the low adoption rate of black cats, Lucy Pinder stated: “I was really surprised to hear that black cats take longer to find homes – it’s such a shame. Black cats make just as good pets as the more colourful moggies and often have particularly striking and noble looks so I’d recommend adopting a black cat to anyone thinking of getting a cat.”

Simon Tofield

As the creator of the animation sensation “Simon’s Cat,” Simon Tofield has made animal lovers laugh with his cartoon kitty’s capers, but for National Black Cat Day the artist worked to draw attention to the serious subject of adorable adoptable black cats in the UK who are unable to find forever homes.

A proud Poppa to four felines (two of whom are ebony beauties), the a’mew’sing antics of his black cat Hugh served as the catalyst for “Cat Man Do,” Tofield’s first foray into film. (Get ready for a giggle-fest as you watch the latest “Simon’s Cat” clip “Double Trouble,” above.)

Tofield confided to Cats Protection: “I’m campaigning for this because I’ve got two black cats and they’ve brought me nothing but luck. Teddy and Hugh are the most adorable pets, and I think it’s quite cool to have black cats!”

Pin it to remember National Black Cat Appreciation Day and National Black Cat Day