Superstition, stigma or maybe their simply not ‘photo-worthy' – whatever the reason, the Feline Team at Rescue.Revive.Rehome are baffled why black kittens and cats are being given the cold shoulder.

'It's really sad – like all five of us on the Feline Team have all got black cats and we just don't understand why,” says Feline team leader Clair Batley.

She says black cats are continuously overlooked by adopters.

'It's ridiculous and it doesn't seem to be changing unfortunately. This our fourth year and I've seen the same thing every year.”

Photos or personality?

'I don't know whether it's a superstition thing or is it possibly a thing where black cats are really hard to take good photographs of…maybe it's not Instagram-worthy," says Clair.

'When people view a litter they're drawn to tabby, and ginger etc. but the black ones get overlooked for some reason.”

Clair says the colour of your cat's fur shouldn't matter – it's what's in their precious pet heart that counts.

'At the end of the day when you are looking for a cat as a companion, it really doesn't matter what they look like, or what colour they are. Black cats make amazing pets and they have just got such a spunky personality and they're just as deserving as any other colour of kitten to a loving home.”

Homes needed

There are 39 black and tuxedo – black with white paws – kittens in RRR's care.

'We've been helping a huge colony down in Lake Tarawera and we've taken 31 kittens from that…23 were black or tuxedo,” says Clair.

'A lot of the litters that we take that have been born in the wild tend to be black.”

It seems there is an abundance of black cats and a shortage of people that favour these cool cats.

'The people looking for black cats are few and far between,” says Clair.

Will you be one of the rare people who take a walk on the dark side and love a midnight-coloured kitty?

With holidays upon us, it's the perfect time to welcome a black cat into your home – but only if your family is committed and ready to take on a new pet.

'Over Christmas people have time off work and they're usually at home a little bit more to be able to settle a new animal in and make them feel comfortable.”

Get in touch with RRR to see what black kittens need a home this Christmas.

Visit: https://rrr.org.nz/