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Are Cats Often Black

“cats are often black”
Generally true
Confidence: High Checked on March 25, 2026

Summary

Black cats make up about one‑third of cats entering shelters and are reported as the most common coat color due to a prevalent “black” gene. Consequently, a sizable portion of domestic cats are black, making the statement that cats are often black accurate.

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Sources 60 searched

msj.edu
  • The Power of Black Cats: Legends That Haunt Them, Responsible Adoptions

    From this spiraled many superstitions and fears surrounding black cats, including one of the most popular and oldest – that a black cat crossing your path will bring you bad luck. However, it doesn’t stop there, as even to this day they are unfairly linked to being symbols of evil, omens of bad luck and a foreboding Halloween icon.

en.wikipedia.org
  • Black cat - Wikipedia

    A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur. They may be a specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. Most black cats have golden irises due to their high melanin pigment content. Black cats are the subject of mythology, legend, and superstition.

  • Cat - Wikipedia

    Felis daemon proposed by Konstantin Satunin in 1904 was a black cat from the Transcaucasus, later identified as a domestic cat. In 2003, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature conserved the name silvestris Erxleben 1777 for the wildcat, but did not suppress catus Linnaeus 1758. In 2007, the modern domesticated subspecies F. silvestris catus was sampled worldwide and considered to have probably descended from the African wildcat (F. lybica), following results of ...

prckc.org
  • The Truth About Black Cats • Pet Resource Center of Kansas City

    A 2013 ASPCA study shows that black cats actually are adopted from shelters at the same rate as other cats. The long and short of it is that there are more black cats (and dogs) in shelters because, well… there are just more black cats (and dogs). Nothing more nefarious than that.

catcaresociety.org
  • Debunking 4 Common Black Cat Myths | Cat Care Society

    According to recent data, there are more black cats than any other color because of this “black” gene. And scientists say that the genetic mutation that causes a cat’s fur to be black also could protect them from certain diseases.

humaneanimalrescue.org
worldanimalfoundation.org
bestfriends.org
shelteranimalscount.org

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