Fact: There are nearly as many superstitions about black cats bringing luck as there are about them being harbingers of bad luck. In different cultures around the world, other colors and coat patterns are seen as lucky – or not. However, in one 2000 study of 321 patients reported in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology patients with dark-colored cats were up to four times more likely to suffer a moderate to severe allergy attack than those with light-colored cats. Researchers speculate that darker cats produce more fel d 1 allergen in their skin and saliva. So if adopters are mildly allergic to cats, it may be smart to steer them to lighter colored ones, leaving all the terrific black cats to those lucky folks with no cat allergies.

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