Black cats are often the last to be adopted. Have you tried sponsoring special events to showcase these black beauties? Following are a few ideas your shelter or rescue might try to help find homes for these so-called “less adoptable” pets.
Present black cats only for offsite adoption days. They would not be competing with other cats.
Partner with another nonprofit organization or business to conduct a black cat adoption at an early evening or late afternoon event. Black cats are dressed in their black formal attire and ready for cocktail hour. Examples could be an art gallery opening, a performing arts event such as a concert or play, etc. Here in Santa Fe, I can envision black cats greeting guests to the Santa Fe Opera. They would be very comfortable and stylish on the large terrace overlooking a splendid mountain view as opera-goers enjoy food and drink before the performance. Volunteers would be needed to take care of the cats till the end of the event and/or arrangements for pick-up at the shelter the following day. These events could generate donations as well. Print brochures to hand out along with mail-in donation envelopes.
Sponsor a black cat adoption month at your shelter. Offer lower-cost adoption fees for black cats and a photo of each cat and new owner (you could ask a teenage volunteer to take the photos). Run as many ads as you can in the local paper featuring different black cats and their stories. Educate your community about the low adoption rate of black cats.
Run a series of public service type ads in your local newspaper about black cat adoption such as:
Reasons You Should Adopt a Black Cat
Black never goes out of style.
Black goes with everything.
You won’t find a more loving forever friend.
Run a series of photos and brief stories about adopted black cats and their humans for a few weeks.
Sponsor an open house and adoption day just for black cats:
Open house Saturday afternoon for a special showing.
Black, sleek, shiny, and runs like the wind. What is it? A black sports car? Much better than that! It’s a black cat.
If you’ve never been owned by one, you don’t know what you’ve missed.
All black cat adoption fees will be reduced by 50% on Saturday.
Feature a black cat on the home page of your website and link to that cat’s own page. Change the featured cat frequently.
Use your Facebook page to showcase the “Black Cat of the Day.” Ask black cat owners to post photos and stories about their black cats.
Post photos of black cats on your website that show off their beautiful coats. Often their photos look like a black blob with eyes and no other detail. See Photographing Your Black Dog for tips on improving black pet photography.
Also, see How Kids Can Increase Black Pet Adoptions and How Shelters Can Find Homes for Black Pets.
These tips are made in loving memory and honor of our wonderful black kitty Zia, whose photo is at the top of this post. How we miss that dear boy!