Plea from RSPCA rescue centre as black cats get 'no interest' in weeks

The RSPCA is appealing for help to find three black cats their forever home after revealing that they have had almost no interest from potential adopters.

One-and-a-half-year old Minnie has not had a single rehoming enquiry since she came into the care of the charity’s East Berkshire branch last month.

She was handed over for rehoming shortly after raising her kittens.

Brother and sister Rory and Loki have also sparked very little interest, with just one person asking about them. 

The inseparable five-year-olds were signed over into RSPCA care in June after their owner could no longer afford to keep them, but they are struggling to adapt to life in a cattery environment and desperately need a home to call their own.

According to RSPCA figures, a black cat can wait an average of nearly 35 days to find a forever home, compared to around 28 days for a tabby.

Black cats are also often associated with superstition and some people believe they are unlucky, while others claim they don’t look good in photos.

Rising living costs are also thought to be behind a slow down in people coming forward to adopt cats.

Lara Di Virgilio, rehoming coordinator for the RSPCA’s East Berkshire branch said: “It’s a sad fact that black cats really don’t have much luck.

"We see more of them coming through our door than any other colour of cat, and they always take longer to rehome than their tabby or tortoiseshell counterparts.

“We’d urge people to look beyond what an animal looks like as the colour of their fur makes no difference to how much love they have to give. Although, we also think black cats are absolutely beautiful!

“Black cats like Minnie, Rory and Loki won’t bring you good luck or bad luck but they will certainly enrich your lives, and we’d urge anyone who is thinking of welcoming a rescue cat into their home, to give these three a chance.”

Minnie is described as a particularly affectionate and friendly cat and loves to socialise. She can be rehomed with children aged six years and above and may be able to live with another friendly feline. 

Rory and Loki are always found snuggled in their bed together. They are a very timid pair but love to be stroked and really come out of their shells once they’ve gained your trust and could be rehomed with primary-aged children.   

Data from the RSPCA reveals that almost twice as many black cats were taken into rescue centres (1,026) compared to tabby cats (551) in 2020.

Only black and white cats scored higher.