Five Things You Need to Know About Black Cats

It seems the black cat has always suffered from a bad reputation, but ignore the superstitions and you may find a wonderfully loving pet.

Here are some things you may not know about black cats:

1. The whole "bad luck" thing dates to the Middle Ages: Black cats were thought to be the favorites of witches, and so were unwelcome in any decent home. But that's OK—black cats are considered good luck in much of Asia and theUnited Kingdom.

2. Dreaming of black cats is good: Even though having one cross your path was thought to be a bad omen, having a dream of black cats is supposed to be a lucky omen. Go figure... 

3. Don' yee be pushin' the cat off the step: The Scottish say to find a strange black cat on your porch is a wee bit of good luck.  

4. Ancient Egyptians worshipped the black cats' form: The benevolent Egyptian goddess Bastet was represented by a short haired black cat. Bastet is not the only black cat godhead: the Greek goddess Hectate and the Norse goddess Freya were represented by black cats.

5. The are many black cats waiting for new homes in Somerset County: Actually, there are many cats, so if you're still hinky about the whole bad luck thing, you can still find a cat to adopt.

But we checked these agencies for adoptable black (and one white) cat for you:

St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center has a shelter in Branchburg at 3201 Route 22 East in North Branch. Call 908-526-3330 for more information on any of the cats available for adoption.

The Cat Adoption and Pet Information Center in Raritan can be rached at 908-393-2007, or by email to catnabber1@yahoo.com.

The  is located at 100 Commons Way in Bridgewater. Call 908-725-0308 for information on their adoptable cats.

Lifeline Animal Rescue Inc., in Warren, can be reached at 908-507-3900.