Q: I found a beautiful black cat at the shelter, but my husband refuses to let me adopt it because he doesn’t want the bad luck in the house. Can you tell him how absurd he’s being??

A: Many cultures have myths about black cats. Some believe that black cats are lucky instead of unlucky. I feel any time you are blessed with a cat in your life, you are lucky. However, stories of witches having black cats as familiars have given these cats a bad name.

I’ve heard stories that suggest a black cat crossing your path one way is bad luck and the other way is good luck. All I can imagine is how stories like these started. Was someone standing in the middle of the road not wanting to cross because a black cat was there and they got hit by a car? I can see the witnesses now, turning to each other and saying, “See I told you a black cat crossing from left to right was bad luck.” OK maybe that’s not how the myths got started, but it does show the absurdity of it all.

I knew a black cat named Lucky. He certainly lived up to his name. He was originally found in a dumpster. He ran away from that family only to be hit by a car. He had to have his leg amputated and then ended up in a shelter because the family didn’t want to pay for his surgery. He finally found a forever home with an elderly gentleman, who was also an amputee, and his wife. Lucky brought them great joy and helped the man accept his amputation after seeing how happy and carefree Lucky lived. How could a black cat be bad luck when he brought such happiness?

Halloween is fast approaching and this is the time the negative myths of black cats abound. In fact, many shelters stop adopting black cats this time of year out of fear that they will be used in satanic rituals or abused in some way. I would like to think those things don’t happen as much as our fears lead us to believe, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

It’s advisable to keep all animals inside on Halloween. All those children dressed in costumes can be pretty scary and can cause animals to behave differently than they normally would. For the safety of animals and children, keep all pets inside and locked in a back room away from opening and closing doors during trick-or-treat hours.

If you are fortunate enough to be blessed with a beautiful black cat, enjoy every moment with this mystical, magical creature. If you don’t have one, please consider giving a black cat a chance.  Shelters are full of cats looking for good homes. Tell your husband, this black cat that you saw at the shelter just might be one of the lucky ones.