A CITY in northern Spain has temporarily banned the adoption of black cats from rescue shelters amid fears the felines could fall victim to ‘sinister’ Halloween rituals.
Officials in Terrassa, Catalunya, have opted to prohibit the fostering of all black cats from October 6 to November 10, citing concerns that the animals could be hurt or used as props for the autumnal festival.
According to the city’s deputy mayor Noel Duque, adoption requests for black cats tend to increase around Halloween, although the city council said there had been no record of cruelty towards the pets in the area.
However, there have been incidents in other areas, with warnings issued by local animal welfare groups.
“We are aware of an increase in people calling up to adopt and putting the cat’s physical appearance first, which seems suspicious to us,” Duque said.
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“At the very least, we want to prevent people from adopting on a whim or because it is fashionable. And in cases like these, which we know exist, we want to ensure that there are no macabre practices behind them.”
He added: “This is serious. In Terrassa, if you want to adopt a black cat, it will have to be after Halloween. You will have to prove that you are going to take care of it and love it.”
Black cats are often associated with witchcraft and viewed as bad luck in Western culture.
Terrassa currently has over 100 cats housed in rescue shelters ready for adoption, 12 of which are black.
In a statement, Terrassa Animal Welfare Service said the temporary but unprecedented measure would ‘avoid potential risk situations’ and ‘does not imply any discrimination in relation to the colour or characteristics of the animals, but rather a protective action aimed at guaranteeing their wellbeing’.
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