Very Superstitious…

As always, I’ve been sporadically saving cat related content that appears on my social media feed I find thought provoking. One of the most recent was a post that stated “Flow”, an animation I mentioned in a previous blog, has increased adoption figures for black cats in multiple places. You can read about this news here: https://www.vice.com/en/article/black-cat-adoptions-are-on-the-rise-thanks-to-a-cartoon-cat/

My initial response – given the stigma attached due to a lot of superstitions – was to feel happy about the news, and hopefully this is the start of something positive.

My concerns are twofold, though. The first concern, is that if the adoption increase was sparked by Flow, have the people adopting really considered what caring for a cat means, or acted primarily on a whim? Is there a chance while there has been a rise, there is also the possibility of what’s referred to as “boomeranging?” Which is when an animal is homed, but returned once the novelty wears off. And if the film caused the increase, will there be a steady decline when the newness of the animation fades?

Only time will tell if either of these concerns are valid, but I’m hoping that Flow simply helped more people to recognise how beautiful the overlooked black cats in rescue are.