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With the arrival of Day of the Dead and Halloween celebrations, animal protection organizations in Mexico have warned about the risk that mainly black and white cats, as well as dogs with the same coat color, run of being stolen and used in witchcraft and satanic practices.
Reports from the Citizens' Council for Security and Justice of Mexico City, through its CompAnimal program, indicate that they have received at least 203 reports since 2023 specifically related to esoteric practices involving sentient beings exposed to “risk situations due to myths, superstition, and rituals that result in acts of cruelty”.
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The data recently shared only comes from this association, as authorities from other rescue organizations and law enforcement agencies in other states do not provide conclusive figures in detail because cases are not usually reported and there are no verified statistics.
Other animals at risk of theft and use in rituals, offerings, or ceremonies include crows, pigeons, goats, and roosters: “The Council urges families to take precautions and stay alert to any situation that could compromise their well-being,” the organization notes.
How to protect black cats during Halloween?
Rescuers recommend keeping cats indoors, avoiding letting them go out into the street alone, or leaving them unsupervised on patios, rooftops, or in public areas; they also ask for doors and access points to be reinforced.
For their part, people are asked to take extreme precautions when handing them over for adoption; they advise verifying the identity of potential adopters, checking home conditions, and not giving up animals in response to suspicious or urgent requests. These are the protective measures they ask be applied during this Halloween season:
- Mantenerles dentro de casa, en espacios seguros, y evitar que salgan a la calle.
- Reforzar la vigilancia y la seguridad de su entorno para evitar sustracciones.
- Impedir que personas desconocidas tengan acceso a ellos sin autorización.
- Suspender temporalmente la adopción de perros y gatos de pelaje oscuro durante la temporada y reforzar el seguimiento de los procesos de adopción de otros seres sintientes.
- Reportar cualquier indicio de actividades clandestinas que impliquen su uso con fines ajenos a su bienestar.
If someone witnesses an abduction or an act of animal cruelty, they should gather the available information without putting themselves at risk and report it to local animal protection authorities or the corresponding prosecutor's office.
In Mexico City, the Citizens' Council offers free and confidential assistance 24 hours a day through the phone number 55 5533 5533.
Black cats, the stigma of their color, and superstitions
The stigma against black cats is due to their supposed link to witchcraft, death, and bad luck.
The fear of black cats dates back to the medieval era when a black animal, like birds and crows, signified death. In 16th-century Italy, impending death was expected when a black cat crossed a person's path or lay on someone's bed.
It was also believed that if a black cat walked alongside a funeral procession, it ensured the death of a family member.
For its part, the bad reputation regarding their relationship with witchcraft dates back to the years after the Middle Ages in Europe. Regularly, cats were cared for by single women whom society accused of being witches.
At the time, it was believed that cats with dark fur were witches reincarnated in feline bodies and that they helped human witches with their curses.
October 27, Black Cat Day
For black cats, there are two special days: October 27, as it is the day of appreciation and awareness about the type of cat and the protection it needs due to the social stigma and risks of being sacrificed in rituals, and October 31, Halloween, because it is estimated that on this date, black cat adoptions increase in order for them to be part of offerings or satanic practices.
[Publicidad]