Tuesday is National Black Cat Day, so we wanted to look at local adoption trends for the Halloween icon.
Local shelters say they don’t see a noticeable shift this time of year.
“Adopting a black cat during October around Halloween is no different than adopting a black cat during any other time of the year,” says Julia Carney, Marketing Manager, Nevada Humane Society.
While they're known as a Halloween symbol that brings bad luck, black cats here in northern Nevada have found good luck getting adopted year-round.
“Any other month is a great one to adopt a black cat, and we don't really see a rise or fall in those adoptions,” Carney says.
Sydney Denham, Communications Manager for the SPCA of Northern Nevada, tells us, “[cats] have been flying out of the kennel doors. So, it's really a great problem to have."
Denham says that trend applies to all cats, charcoal-colored or otherwise.
2 News Nevada obtained cat intake numbers from Washoe County Regional Animal Services over the last five years.
Per the data, this is actually the time of year where they bring in fewer cats, regardless of fur color. From 2022 to 2025, they averaged about 200 black cats coming in monthly from May to September. That drops to 170 in October and 118 in November. Cats of other colors follow a similar trend. The drop roughly correlates to the colder months.
Preliminary data for 2026 follows the same pattern: black cats come in at about the same rate as others. The SPCA sees a similar trend.
“I think people just are looking for kitty companionship, which is great,” Denham says. “That comes in all shapes, sizes and colors."
Nationwide, some shelters hold on to black cats, making them unavailable to adopt around Halloween, due to fears of harm or abandonment. Our local shelters say that's a myth.
“In our care, we've seen that once cats are adopted, they tend to stay in those homes,” Carney says.
“I don't want that to discourage people from going and finding themselves a loving companion specifically around this time, but also year-round,” Denham adds.
You can check the availability of black cats and other animals up for adoption at the Nevada Humane Society’s and SPCA’s websites.
