1 Answer

From an animal shelter point of view.

For years now there have been concerns, based on little more than hearsay, that black cats are sought out on Halloween for Satanic rituals. Other less over-the-top versions of this myth include concerns about teenage animal abusers and people who want a black cat solely as a Halloween party decoration. In the meantime, people who'd offer perfect homes for these pets may not come into the shelter at all while an adoption ban is in effect.

What about the frequent disappearances of cats, or the gruesome finding of feline remains? Forget Satanic rituals; in the majority of these cases the explanation is sadly ordinary. When a cat doesn't come home, it's most likely because it has been hit by a car, poisoned (on purpose or by accident), or trapped as a feral and killed. In the cases of mutilated cats, experts blame the incidents on increasing numbers of hungry urban coyotes — not on Satanic partygoers. (Is it any wonder why so many veterinarians encourage that cats be kept indoors?)

"There is no evidence that black cats are at special risk of abuse if adopted around Halloween," says Francis Battista, cofounder of the Best Friends Animal Society. "The only thing that such a fear-driven policy does is put more cats of every color at risk of dying in shelters due to overcrowding." In shelters that kill for population control, holding animals out of consideration for adoption puts them at high risk of not being around when the ban on adoptions is lifted.

http://www.vetstreet.com/dr-marty-becker/are-black-cats-in-greater-danger-around-halloween