National Black Cat Day is celebrated on November 17 to highlight what awesome cats black cats really are, and also to try and help to dispel the myths and nonsense that continue to circulate around them.

The biggest problem with black cats is their association with witches and the occult. Depending where you live in the world, they are either associated with good or bad luck.

In England, and in many countries that were once a part of the British Empire, black cats are deemed lucky. Hopefully that message will one day be endorsed in this country, too! Personally, I think they are awesome and truly beautiful as big green or gold eyes often contrast with that rich black fur. It’s like having a svelte little black panther in your home.

Recently to try and help dispel the bad luck myth, a social app called Skout conducted a national survey and found that viewpoints are in fact changing.

According to the survey:

• 59 percent of people in the U.S. now think black cats are actually good luck!
• 46 percent of people who have owned a black cat say they have won a contest or the lottery versus 40 percent of people who have never owned a black cat.
• 64 percent of people who have owned a black cat have had a near-death experience and lived to tell about it versus 54 percent of people who have never owned a black cat.
• 71 percent of cat owners have more than four friends, compared to 66 percent of non-cat owners who say the same.
• 59 percent of people who think black cats are bad luck have black hair.
• 63 percent of people who say black cats are bad luck also believe in ghosts and 59 percent say they are superstitious.
• Nearly 75 percent of cat owners have owned a black cat and the same (75 percent) say they would consider adopting a black cat in the future.