Now that is unlucky… Black cats rejected in age of self ie

AND you thought you looked bad in selfies... Well, pity the poor black cat whose very existence is being put at risk by the feline’s (alleged) failure to look good in a digital photo.

The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals claims that black cats’ diminishing popularity is down to our modern obsession with photographing our lives and putting the snaps on social networking sites – the ‘selfie’ phenomenon.

Black cats blend into the background too much, it seems, so would-be pet owners seem to be opting for more photogenic colours. The animal charity is now hoping to change this perception. The charity is appealing to members of the public to consider adopting one of these superfriendly cats or kittens from the ISPCA after Halloween.

The ISPCA stressed that black cats photograph very well in bright sunlight: ‘Patience is a must to get the right light to capture some lovely photos of your adorable black cat or kitten.’

The charity added that some people simply don’t like black cats because they think they bring bad luck or associate them with the occult or witchcraft.

There is a similar problem with rehousing black cats in the UK. Cats Protection, the UK’s biggest cat charity, has even launched National Black Cat Day in an attempt to convince people that sleek black felines can be as cute as other varieties.

The Blue Cross, which runs animal hospitals and rehoming centres in the UK has seen a 65% rise in the number of black cats needing new homes in recent years.

Meanwhile, the ISPCA sees an increase in the number of stray pets in general around Halloween, largely due to noise such as fireworks, parties or trick-or-treaters which drives some pets to extreme behaviour and they escape.

The charity is appealing to anyone who witnesses animal cruelty, to notify their local Garda station immediately and contact the ISPCA National Animal Cruelty Helpline on 1890 515 515.

They’re not seen as photogenic