Is 'Black Panther' Helping Black Cats Get Adopted?

Marvel's Black Panther has been a huge success, captivating audiences everywhere. But this feline-inspired superhero movie might be having an unintended effect on felines in the real world. It seems that Black Panther may be inspiring people to adopt black cats. 

Photo (Right): @FrhnaBhrddin_1

According to one tumblr user, a local shelter in Durango, Colorado, was inundated with people looking to adopt black cats - intent on naming them T'Challa, and to the confusion of one elderly volunteer, Killmonger. Some commenters were concerned with what would happen to the newly adopted cats once the "fad" passes, that such quick adoptions weren't being properly vetted and might lead to black cats being dumped back at the shelter. But the original poster had a comforting and assuring response. 

This apparent increase in black cat adoptions seems mostly anecdotal and hasn't been confirmed in numbers nationwide. In fact, according to Metro, the ASPCA hasn’t seen an "increased interest in adoptions of, nor requests for, black cats as a result of the Black Panther film in New York City." 

Black cats are always in need of some good PR! Black cats have historically gotten a bad rap, often linked with superstition and folklore. These superstitious beliefs are unfortunately still held in modern times. 

So if folks are inspired by Black Panther and are naming their new cats and kittens T'Challa and Killmonger, as long as they are serious about the responsibilities of owning a cat, we don't see a problem with this trend! And Neither does Milton. Wakanda Fur-ever!