Black Panther: A Hero to Humans and Cats Alike

In a world where we are barraged by bad news, let’s take a moment to focus on some of the good happening right under our noses. A few weeks ago, the world was blown away by the release of Black Panther. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen it (though I plan to rectify the situation soon), but word around the street is that the movie lives up to the hype. Friends, family, celebrities and critics alike, are thrilled with Marvel’s newest hero-flick. People around the world are finally getting the superhero representation they deserve—inspiring and invigorating children and adults alike.

But Black Panther has had an unexpected effect on the world: an increase in black cat adoptions.

There is longstanding prejudice against black cats in the United States. While some cultures see the felines as a symbol of good fortune, Americans have been conditioned to associate a black cat crossing one’s path with bad luck. Black cats are often depicted in media as an omen; one who runs across an abandoned street just before a killer attacks, and is a friend of witches (good or bad). In some places, black cat adoption is restricted around Halloween, as some have been known to adopt and then sacrifice the cats. On a regular day, shelters are full of black cats. They are truly the pit bull of the feline world.

After the release of Black Panther, there seems to be a change in the stigma. All over the United States, shelters are finding themselves actually running out of black cats. Shelters have reported that many people are coming in search of their own ‘Black Panther’, or perhaps a T’challa or an Okoye. One blogger from Tumblr says, “My local pet shelters went from having something like 50-60 black cats between them to having NONE.”

One of the biggest fears about this situation is that people will adopt a kitten, and once the hype of Black Panther is over they will return the cat. However, many shelters are very serious; they require a lot of paperwork and have a lot of rules to adopt a new fur-baby. Most people going for a black cat just to be trendy would probably be put off by all the work it takes to bring a kitty home. There are sucky people in the world, but there are also a lot of good people, and I would imagine a large majority of these cats are finding themselves a forever home.

So far, the evidence of this phenomena is mainly word of mouth, but perhaps within the next few months, we’ll see some statistics. Regardless, it’s lovely to see that the general view of black cats may be changing. As far as I can find, there aren’t any reports to read up on whether or not this is happening in such large quantities in Tallahassee. However, if you’re curious, find out for yourself! Go to the Leon County Humane Society or the Tallahassee Animal Shelter, ask the employees, and maybe come home with your own King (or Queen) of Wakanda.

• Black Panther
• cats
• FSU
• movies