A Spanish Town Just Banned Black Cat Adoptions Over ‘Ritual’ Fears

We all know black cats get a bit of a bad rep, but one Spanish town has gone one step further by temporarily banning the adoption of black cats over fears of potential “ritual” practices.

Authorities in Terrassa, a town in north-eastern Catalonia, put a moratorium on the adoption of black cats during a period of increased demand in the lead-up to Halloween. Running from 1 October through to 10 November, the unprecedented ban is designed to prevent the animals being hurt, used as Halloween props or subjected to what Deputy Mayor Noel Duque describes as potentially “macabre practices”.

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According to BBC News, Duque told broadcaster RTVE that adoption requests for black cats – often associated with witchcraft – typically spike around Halloween, with some people wishing to use them for sinister reasons.

“We are aware of an increase in people calling up to adopt and putting the cat’s physical appearance first, which seems suspicious to us,” Duque told RTVE, as reported by The Telegraph. “At the very least, we want to prevent people from adopting on a whim or because it is fashionable. And in cases like these, which we know exist, we want to ensure that there are no macabre practices behind them.”*

In a statement on 6 October, the Terrassa Animal Welfare Service said the “preventative measure” temporarily suspending adoptions and foster care of black cats had been put in place to “avoid potential risk situations”. The statement emphasised that the ban “does not imply any discrimination in relation to the colour or characteristics of the animals, but rather a protective action aimed at guaranteeing their well-being”.

Despite no recorded incidents of cruelty towards black cats in Terrassa itself, the city council said there have been incidents in other areas and introduced the measure after warnings from animal welfare groups. According to local media, the adoption centre in Terrassa currently houses some 100 felines, 12 of which are black. There are roughly 9,800 cats in Terrassa overall, according to municipal authorities.

Duque, who also serves as Terrassa’s councillor for animal welfare, said: “This is serious. In Terrassa, if you want to adopt a black cat, it will have to be after Halloween. You will have to prove that you are going to take care of them and love them.”

Carme Parrot, the head of cat rescue organisation Progat Terrassa, told local media that the measures were a “sad but necessary precaution”. She added: “It’s madness that black cats are still stigmatised – sometimes feared, sometimes fetishised – but rarely treated simply as the beautiful, loving animals they are.”

Terrassa isn’t alone in taking this kind of precaution. Madrid-based animal protection association La Posada Felina has also closed its adoption process entirely this month – not just for black cats, but for all cats. Natalia Esteban, who works at the organisation, told Spanish newspaper Diari de Tarragona said: “At this time of year, we don’t give away a single cat for adoption. Not black, not white, not any other colour”. She explained that some people seek out Tortoiseshell or dark Tabby cats when black ones aren‘t available, adding that it is “easy” to “track down practices on social media where cats are used: black for witchcraft, white for Santeria.”

Esteban cautioned that these rituals can include sacrifices and mutilations performed “with surgical precision”, according to The Telegraph.

It’s a move that might sound extreme, but it also highlights how centuries-old prejudices continue to affect black cats today. The association between cats and witchcraft dates back to the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries, when cats – particularly black ones – became linked with the devil and dark magic. 

These superstitions have proven remarkably persistent. Black cats remain the least likely to be adopted from shelters, partly due to their historical association with bad luck (though notably, in Japan and Egypt, they’re considered symbols of prosperity and good fortune). The fact that multiple Spanish organisations felt compelled to take pro-active action in 2025 speaks volumes about how deeply entrenched in society these prejudices are.

When the moratorium on black cat adoption ends on 10 November, proceedings will continue as normal, authorities have said. The city council has emphasised the measure is “temporary and exceptional” but hasn’t ruled out repeating it in future years if needed.

*Some translations have been edited for clarity.