Black Cat Appreciation Day - Celebrate and Learn About Black Cats

Black Cat Appreciation Day falls annually on August 17th. Wayne H. Morris created this national day to honor his sister June and her beloved pet cat Sinbad.

Throughout history, there have been many mixed perspectives on black cats. They were worshipped and revered by the ancient Egyptians, burned at the stake with witches, and were ordered to be murdered by more than one Pope!

Thankfully, many of the negative beliefs about black cats have been dispelled throughout the years. These cuddly kittens deserve all the love in the world.

Keep reading to learn ways to celebrate Black Cat Appreciation Day and get a list of fun facts about black cats below.

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How to observe Black Cat Appreciation Day

There are lots of obvious ways to celebrate Black Cat Appreciation Day. Here are a few other creative ideas to help honor this day.

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Volunteer at a local animal shelter, and make sure to give the black cats that are there some extra love.
If you have your own black cat, today is a great day to give them an extra treat, or a new special toy.
If you’re looking to adopt a pet, choose a black cat from a shelter. They are the most at-risk for euthanasia. Many shelters run adoption specials for black cats on Black Cat Appreciation Day.
Watch Sabrina The Teenage Witch to celebrate her black cat named Salem!
Plan ahead with some ideas for cat pumpkins for Carve a Pumpkin Day in October.
Make sure to watch Hocus Pocus this Halloween and celebrate the black cat in that movie named Thackery Binx.

For more national days to celebrate this month check out this list of national days in August these August monthly observances and these August food holidays.

Fun facts about Black Cat Appreciation Day

Brush up on your knowledge of Black Cat Appreciation Day with these fun facts.

There are two different days of the year that celebrate black cats: today, Black Cat Appreciation Day and October 27, National Black Cat Day.
Black cats are less likely to be adopted and more likely to be euthanized in shelters. Plus, more black cats are turned in to shelters than cats of other colors.
Many shelters lower or waive adoption fees for black cats on Black Cat Appreciation Day and also on Black Friday.
In Irish and Scottish mythology there’s an ominous creature called cat sìth, which is a giant black cat with a white patch on its chest.
There are 22 different breeds of black cats.
Sailors considered black cats to be good ship’s cats because they were thought to bring good luck.
Pope Gregory IX believed cats (particularly black cats) were satanic and ordered them to be killed.
Some say that this cat extermination contributed to the bubonic plague. Since there were fewer cats to kill rodents, they were able to spread disease more easily.
Another Pope, Pope Innocent VIII declared that when a witch was burned, if she had a cat, that cat was to be burned with her.
Historically black cats have been associated with witchcraft.
Black cats are associated with Halloween because of the old belief that they were closely linked to witches.

Share these facts about black cat for Black Cat Appreciation Day on X

Use the hashtag #BlackCatAppreciationDay to spread the word about the day on social media. Here is a post to get you started:

August 17 is Black Cat Appreciation Day! Celebrate these fantastic felines by heading over to Always The Holidays and learning more about them and their special day! 🖤 😻 Share on X

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Watch our YouTube video to learn about more national days in August.