Black cats have long been associated with superstition, witchcraft, and bad luck in many cultures. This has led to black cats being less likely to be adopted and sometimes even killed. But just how rare are all black cats compared to other cat colors and patterns? Let’s take a look at some key facts and statistics on black cat rarity.
What qualifies as an all black cat?
For a cat to be considered all black, it must have a completely black coat with no white markings or other colors present. This includes black on the body, face, ears, legs, tail, and paws. The fur may be a solid jet black or can appear brownish in certain lighting. The skin and paw pads are also black or very dark grey.
The technical cat coat color description for a solid black cat is “ebony.” Sometimes all black cats will still have a subtle tabby pattern in their fur which is not initially noticeable. But these cats are still considered black.
How rare are black cats compared to other coat colors?
Black is one of the most common feline coat colors but still makes up only about 15% of the general cat population. By comparison, brown tabby coats are the most prevalent at about 25% of cats. Here is a breakdown of the approximate distribution of cat coat colors:
| Brown tabby | 25% |
| Black | 15% |
| Grey tabby | 15% |
| Orange tabby | 15% |
| White | 10% |
| Calico | 5% |
| Tortoiseshell | 3% |
| Other colors | 12% |
So while black cats are common, they are far from being the most prevalent cat color.
Why are solid black coats less common in cats?
The genetics of coat color in cats helps explain why all black fur is rarer. For a cat to have an ebony black coat, it must inherit a recessive gene for melanism from both parents. Melanism results in an overproduction of melanin pigment, turning the fur black.
If a cat inherits the melanism gene from just one parent, it will not be black and will exhibit another coat color instead. Therefore, two black cat parents are needed to produce an all black kitten.
The melanism gene mutation that causes black fur is somewhat uncommon compared to other coat color genes in cats. So it is less likely for two cats carrying the recessive gene to breed and create black kittens.
Are black cats less likely to be adopted?
Sadly, black cats do seem to be adopted at lower rates than cats with other coat colors. Surveys of animal shelters show black cats waiting to be adopted significantly longer compared to cats with lighter and brighter coats.
Some contributing factors:
- Unfounded superstitions about black cats being bad luck or evil.
- Black cats being less visible in cages in shelters.
- Black cats not photographing well for online adoption listings.
- Concerns black cat fur won’t show up well on black clothing.
- Associations of the color black with evil or fear.
Thankfully education efforts by animal welfare advocates are helping to reverse this trend and encourage equal adoption rates for black cats.
Black Cat Population Statistics
Now that we’ve looked at how black cat coats arise genetically, let’s examine some numbers on black cat populations.
U.S. Black Cat Statistics
There are an estimated 58 million pet cats living in United States households. Based on the 15% figure for black cat occurrence, this means there are likely around 9 million all black cats currently living as pets in the U.S.
Some other key statistics on black cats in America:
- About 11% of black cats in U.S. shelters were euthanized in 2020.
- Black cats waited an average of 29 days to be adopted from shelters compared to 20 days for other cats.
- U.S. animal shelters see a surge in black cat adoptions around Halloween.
Worldwide Numbers
When we look at worldwide estimates for cat populations, the numbers become far less precise. But applying the same approximate 15% occurrence rate, we can estimate broad worldwide black cat numbers:
- 220 million pet cats globally.
- Around 33 million black pet cats worldwide.
- 600 million feral/stray cats globally.
- 90 million black feral/stray cats globally.
So all together, the worldwide black cat population likely totals over 120 million when pet and stray cats are combined.
Popular Black Cat Breeds
While most solid black cats are mixed breed domestic shorthairs, there are some specific cat breeds that commonly produce all black fur.
Bombay
The Bombay breed was developed in the 1950s in Louisville, Kentucky by breeding black American Shorthairs to black Burmese cats. This produced cats with a sleek, panther-like coat and vibrant copper eyes. The look of the Bombay was intended to resemble a mini black panther.
All Bombay cats are born with black fur with light ghost tabby markings that typically disappear as kittens. To be considered show quality Bombays, the cats must be completely black with no barring or spots by 18 months old.
Oriental
The Oriental breed includes both solid color and patterned cats with very sleek, elegant bodies. Black is a very common and popular Oriental coat color. Oriental blacks have striking bright green eyes. Unlike Bombays, even mature Oriental black cats may retain some barely visible tabby markings in their fur.
Devon Rex
The Devon Rex is a unique cat breed with wavy, curly fur and big bat-like ears. Devon Rex coats come in many colors including black, with either solid or tabby patterning. Their curly black fur gives them a distinctive look.
Japanese Bobtail
Japanese Bobtails are an ancient Asian breed recognized for their pom pom-like stubby tails. While they exhibit a range of coat colors, black Japanese Bobtails with their short black tails are quite striking and elegant in appearance. Their expressive eyes can be amber, green or blue.
Famous Black Cats
Throughout history, many legendary black cats have captured the human imagination. Here are some of the most famous real and fictional felines with ebony fur.
Historical Cats
- Unsinkable Sam – A noted ship’s cat that survived the sinking of three ships during World War II.
- Mr. Spyte – Companion of English sea captain Matthew Flinders who circumnavigated Australia in the early 1800s.
- Togo – The faithful black cat of a Japanese naval officer discovered alive after being lost at sea for months.
- The Hagia Sophia Cats – Descendants of black Turkish Angora cats introduced to control the mouse population at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
Fictional Black Cats
- Salem – Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s snarky magical black cat.
- Binx – The immortal black cat from the movie Hocus Pocus.
- Azrael – Gargamel’s sidekick cat in The Smurfs.
- Pyewacket – Kim Novak’s Siamese/Burmese black cat familiar in the 1958 movie Bell, Book and Candle.
Conclusion
While black may be seen as an ominous fur color by the superstitious, ebony coats are truly stunning and distinctive on cats. All black cats arise from a recessive gene that produces extra melanin and limits coat color variation.
Black cats make up about 15% of the general feline population. They do face some adoption bias based on unfounded superstitions. But black cats are gradually rising in popularity again as loving pets. From sleek Bombays to curly Devons, all black cat breeds and mixed breed ebony kitties have unique qualities that go far beyond their fur color.