They may be the symbol of good luck, but black cats have drawn the short straw in one respect: they don't look good in selfies.

Today the RSPCA announced a rise in the number of black cats being abandoned by their owners, and attributed it to them not photographing well.

A spokesman for the animal welfare charity said that more than 70 per cent of the 1,000 cats in its care were black, and blamed the trend for people taking pictures of themselves with their phones.

He said: 'There are a number of reasons for us having so many black cats, including the fact that black animals tend not to photograph as well as other cats with more distinctive markings.

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Selfie #fail? Black cat owner Gabriella Fletcher, 20, says her pet Susie is 'beautiful', but hard to photograph

The RSPCA says 70 per cent of its abandoned cats are black, including this one with assistant David Oliver

Other cats are also easier to tell apart, he said.

The spokesman added: 'There is a national problem with rehoming cats of this colour.

'We really are puzzled as to why this still happens but we would urge people to never judge a cat by its colour and look at its personality instead.'

The Millwood Cat Rescue Centre in Edwalton, Nottinghamshire, has taken in nine black kittens in the last fortnight.

The rescue centre looks after about 300 cats every year and is currently 'full to bursting'.

Founder Ronnie McMillen, 71, said: 'We have had a lot of black cats in this year - people don’t like black at the moment.

'Others look at the black cats and then just say "Oh, have you got anything else?"

'Ginger males cats are the most popular but I think the black cats are beautiful, and they photograph fine.'

Not wanted: These black kittens are among nine left at the Millwood Cattery in Nottingham in the last fortnight

Ronnie McMillen, pictured, who runs the Millwood rescue centre, says ginger males are the most popular cats

Animal lover Gabriella Fletcher, 20, from Stourbridge in the West Midlands owns 16-year-old black cat Susie, and regularly poses for selfies with her pet.

She said: 'It is hard to get a good picture as you can’t really see how beautiful Susie is.

'But it’s very sad that people feel the need to overlook them just because they are black. They are just as special as any other cat.

'I only got Susie recently, she was a rescue cat and the centre said they were being bombarded with black cats. It’s a real shame.'

Cat owner Sheila Mounteney, 63, from Mapperley, Nottinghamshire, rescued her three-year-old black cat, Milo, after he was found in a canal two years ago.