On the average, a cute white or orange kitten will get adopted in under a week but it often takes two months or more for a black kitten to be adopted. “Even a black kitten that has a great personality and is super friendly and fun is typically overlooked for a cute Siamese or a Calico that is less socialized,” stated Christopher.
After pondering this sad (and well-documented) state of affairs, Christopher realized that “Black cats supposedly don’t photograph well and they are more difficult to see in their cages. I created this project to spread awareness and to try to get more black cats adopted.”
As well, many people just seem to have an ingrained bias against black cats. “Some adopters will ask me to show them the cuddliest lap cat we have,” related Samantha Bell, Cat Behavior and Enrichment Lead for Best Friends Animal Society in Mission Hills, in an interview with TODAY, “and I’ll show them a black cat. And they sometimes say, ‘Oh, but we don’t want a black cat’. It’s crazy to me because while color doesn’t determine temperament, I have found that our cuddliest lap cats are often black.” Since there’s obviously something wrong with this picture, it’s only fitting that pictures can come to the rescue of unfairly ignored black cats!
