Organization Kicking Off October with Fee-Waived Event for Special Cats
BOSTON, Sept. 27, 2024 – Leaves are changing, people are hanging decorations, pumpkins are appearing on doorsteps, and stores are filled to the brim with costumes and goodies, which can only mean one thing—it’s officially Halloween season—and the MSPCA-Angell is reminding people—there is no reason to fear black cat adoptions!
“There are so many myths surrounding black cats and Halloween that people still believe,” said MSPCA-Angell Vice President of Animal Protection, Mike Keiley. “Facts and data consistently disprove them, and that’s what people should focus on, but it’s unfortunately not always the case, and this season tends to evoke more of these dangerous misconceptions, which often lead to worse outcomes for cats.”
“So, we want to get out there loudly and early to tell people the truth: Black cats are equally deserving of love as any other animals in shelters, and that remains true regardless of the time of year!”
Busting Black Cat Myths
According to Keiley, there is a wide range of incorrect beliefs that negatively impact black cat adoptions in October, especially closer to Halloween, leading some animal shelters to even stop adopting out the animals around the holiday.
“We’re so confident that these myths are nothing to worry about that we would never consider stopping black cat adoptions, even at our Salem shelter, which is in arguably the spookiest, most witchy city in the country, if not the world,” he elaborated, noting that a persistent false belief is that people adopt black cats in October for nefarious purposes, like ritual sacrifice.
“Whether in Salem or somewhere else, people aren’t motivated to adopt black cats around Halloween for that reason,” he elaborated. “It’s also untrue that they only adopt them for a theme and then return them after Halloween.”
“Whether it’s black cat adoptions now, bunny adoptions around Easter, or people adopting pets as gifts in December, we just don’t see them returning the animals to shelters afterward in the numbers that people believe to be true.”
“What remains true, and what should be celebrated, is that the vast majority of people coming to adopt have good intentions and want to help us in our mission of finding every homeless pet a new home,” added Keiley.
The MSPCA-Angell has roughly 40 black cats currently in its care.
“Regardless of the time of year or whether we’re having a special adoption event, people should feel confident that our animals are going to the best possible homes—and we need some of those homes to open their doors right now!”
“Purranormal Cativity”: A Special Cat Adoption Event!
The MSPCA-Angell is waiving adoption fees for some of the cats in its care—including a number of black cats—across all four of its adoption centers from Tuesday, October 1 through Friday, October 4, in an attempt to help make space for cats impacted by Hurricane Helene.
“It’s not yet clear exactly where Helene will hit, but we know that a lot of shelters in areas we regularly work with, like Florida and South Carolina, will be impacted, and we want to be in a position to help,” added Keiley. “In order to do that, we need to find homes now for some of the cats that tend to stay in our shelters longer.”
The adoptathon—called “Purranormal Cativity” in honor of the spooky season—will take place during open hours at MSPCA shelters in Boston, Methuen, Salem and Centerville on Cape Cod.
Cats whose adoption fees will be waived include those with specific medical or behavioral needs, as well as older cats. Those eligible will have stars on their adoption profiles at mspca.org/adoptacat. Fees are being subsidized by the Bissell Pet Foundation.
More information on the adoptathon may be found at mspca.org/feewaived.
