Black Cat Appreciation Day

Many black cats have golden eyes. They bring a bounty of good luck with them.

Historically, sailors brought cats aboard ships to hunt mice—and, presumably, for companionship—but British sailors believed a black cat would bring the ship good luck and ensure a safe return home. It was a little more complicated for pirates, though. They believed a black cat walking toward you was bad luck, a black cat walking away from you was good luck, and if a cat boarded the ship and then jumped off, the ship was going to sink.

National Black Cat Day was created in 2011 by Cats Protection in order to celebrate beautiful black cats. An organization located in the United Kingdom called Cats Protection created National Black Cat Day. Thousands of people backed the UK’s first ever Black Cat Awareness Day – as it was known then – on 27 October, which drew attention to the hundreds of homeless black cats in Cats Protection’s care and the apparent reluctance of people to adopt them.