Black cats and Halloween: Why has a Spanish council banned their adoption?

The Spanish city council of Terrassa, close to Barcelona, has decided to suspend the adoption of black cats until the end of this month to avoid their use in rituals or celebrations linked to Halloween.

Local authorities say it's an unusual but necessary measure.

"We have been alerted by organisations and members of the public that some people want to adopt a black cat to use it for ritual purposes. We have had to issue an instruction to stop the adoption and fostering of black cats on Halloween," explained deputy mayor Noel Duque on social media. "In Terrassa, if you want to adopt a black cat, it will have to be after Halloween and with proof that you are going to take care of it and love it," he added.

Although it may seem like a superstition of the past, animal protection associations claim that every year there are more cases of people asking for black cats as part of party props or, worse still, to use them in witchcraft rituals.

Witchcraft and bad luck

Terrassa's measure follows a number of other cities that already restrict the adoption of black cats and, to a lesser extent, white cats, in the weeks leading up to 31 October.

While the former are still a symbol of bad luck or dark powers, the latter are widely viewed as representing purity and good fortune, especially if you're a James Bond villain. Both, however, share a common fate: they are victims of human superstition.

Since medieval times, black cats have been associated with witchcraft, the evil eye and bad luck. In Spain, felines are synonymous with Tuesday the 13th, broken mirrors or stairs as omens to be avoided. But nowadays, their notoriety persists disguised as a festive tradition.

For this reason, animal protection organisations insist: cats, whatever colour they are, are not amulets or decorative elements - they are living beings. And, this Halloween, in Terrassa at least, they will not be part of any ritual.