Everything You Need to Know About Void Cats

There are entire Reddit threads dedicated to them. TikToks about them are racking up thousands of views. Instagram photos appear to show absolutely nothing at all. What are they? The void. More specifically, void cats — all-black cats who seem to dissolve into shadows, appear out of nowhere, and occasionally turn out to be your laundry.

Behind the memes are real cats, waiting in real shelters and rescues, and usually for longer than any other cat there, because Black cats are among the least adopted and longest-staying residents in shelters and rescues across the country. Learn more about void cats and the reasons to adopt one (or two).

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What is a void cat?

A void cat, according to the internet, is a black cat who appears to have no discernible edges, features, or physical form whatsoever — just a pair of floating eyes and the vague sense that you’re being judged. You can find them dissolved into dark corners, merged with black laundry, and ambushing TikTok feeds with two yellow eyes and no warning.

Void cats aren’t a single breed. Almost any cat can be almost completely black, thanks to a condition called ​​melanism, or an overproduction of dark pigment. Domestic Shorthairs, Maine Coons, Persians, exotics, American Shorthairs, and more. (The Bombay is the only breed who is truly maximum void — fully black, down to their paw pads and whiskers). 

But not everyone embraces the void nickname. “Some cat-lovers think it’s just a cute little nickname for black cats,” Hannah Soboleski, Founder and Executive Director of Binx’s Home for Black Cats, says. “Others think it’s demeaning.” 

For black cats, invisibility hasn’t always been all it’s cracked up to be. They dissolve into laundry piles and the bottom of dark suitcases, yes. But they also tend to disappear among crowded shelters, where they wait longer than any other cat to be seen or adopted.

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The void has a complicated history

The history of the black cat has had some serious whiplash — from goddess and villain, to meme and movie star. Thanks to efforts by rescues, especially those dedicated specifically to black cats, a growing internet culture around void cats, and Hollywood hits such as Flo, the black cat is finally landing on their feet. 

3000 B.C. 

Cats are basically royalty in ancient Egypt. Bastet, goddess of home, fertility, and protection, has the body of a woman with the head of a domestic black cat. Harming any cat was a crime punishable by death. 

The year 1233

Pope Gregory IX publishes Vox in Rama, a public decree declaring that black cats are agents of the devil. “He claimed that witches were worshipping black cats in rituals, could transform into black cats to commit nefarious acts, and that demons could also roam the Earth disguised as black cats,” Soboleski says. A frenzy ensues. Black cats are killed en masse across Europe.

The 1300s

The cat population severely declines as the rat population multiplies. We’re not not saying the frenzy sparked by the Catholic Church contributed to the Bubonic Plague, which claimed an estimated 50 million lives across Europe between 1347 and 1353. 

The year 1486

The Catholic Church publishes the Malleus Maleficarum (translation: the “hammer of witches”), doubling down on the association between black cats and witchcraft. 

The 1690s

Fear of witches and their cats, especially black ones, crosses the Atlantic. The Puritans brought it to the colonies, and during the Salem witch trials, black cats were killed alongside the people accused of witchcraft. “We witches don’t sacrifice cats either, even though many people have that idea,” says Soboleski, who named her rescue after her own black cat, Binx.

Everywhere else

Black cats are considered good luck across cultures worldwide. They’re protectors, symbols of prosperity, and good omens at sea, explains Tracey Lenac, Founder and Director of Black Cat Holistic Rescue. “This is what I want for the black cats in every state of the United States,” she says. 

Modern United States

The stigma follows black cats to the present day, and in the most outlandish ways. When Lenac was pregnant, a nurse told her she needed to get rid of her black cat, Bastet, because she would “suck the life out of her baby.” Neighbors warned her that the cat was evil. “Many harbor ill will against black cats, and others have a subconscious bias — but it all goes back to 1233,” she says. “It’s time for the persecution to stop.”

Somewhere between Tumblr and TikTok, the internet saw black cats disappearing into shadows and decided it was extremely funny. The void was born. In 2024, Flo hit screens and adoption rates followed. “Twenty years ago, black cats had no one to stand up for them. However, the adoption gap has changed in the past 10 years, and I believe it is getting better,” Lenac says.

The void in rescues

Nearly three million cats entered shelters and rescues in 2025, and black cats are the second most common color among them — and among the least likely to leave. There’s a name for this phenomenon: black cat bias. Cats with black coats are viewed more negatively, adopted less often, and euthanized more often than lighter-colored cats.

A study of more than 29,000 cats found that, on average, black cats took a little more than two days longer to be adopted on average compared with non-black cats. For black adult cats specifically, that gap stretched to nearly six days. But within that statistic, a hierarchy exists. 

“People always ask for a black cat with blue eyes,” Soboleski says. “The very few we’ve ever gotten in were adopted almost immediately and had many applications.” Long-haired black cats go faster, too, as do cats with something distinctly unusual — a missing leg, one eye, no tail.

But the little black Domestic Shorthair? Still waiting.

Photography may be partly to blame. Truly living up to their “void” nickname, black cats absorb light rather than refract it. Standard shelter photography, often taken quickly in poor lighting against neutral backgrounds, can render them nearly invisible online. “If any photographers would like to donate their time and skills to black cats or black dogs in shelters and rescues, it’s so helpful in getting them adopted,” Soboleski says. 

Overall, cat adoption rates have climbed steadily over the past decade, and the median length of stay-to-adoption hit a record low of 14 days in 2025, according to Shelter Animals Count. October is National Black Cat Awareness Month, yet that month remains only the fifth highest for black cat adoptions. Although some shelters offer special events and reduced adoption fees during October, Soboleski says others actually pause black cat adoptions out of fear of Halloween mistreatment. “There is still a large population of the public that refuse to discard their biases,” Lenac says.

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10 things void cat parents want you to know

1. The void is a color, not a breed.

With so many breeds of cats who can come in black, it’s easier to name the ones who cannot: Siamese, Tonkinese, Ragdolls, Russian Blues, and Bengals. However, the Bombay is the only truly all-black cat without a lick of white, down to the paws and whiskers.

2. Fur color doesn’t dictate personality.

“Their personalities depend on their lived experiences, not the color of their fur,” says Donna W., who adopted her kitty through Black Cat Holistic Rescue. When you’re scrolling through Adopt a Pet profiles, don’t overlook the “about me” section. “I’d love to see the public spend more time focusing on what kind of personality they’d like their new kitty to have, what kind of relationship they’d like to establish with their new cat, versus the physical aspects,” Soboleski says.

3. But all void cats are lovable.

Individual personalities vary, but anecdotally, void cat parents say the same thing: Black cats show up for you.

4. Black cat superstitions are made up.

“The initial black cat superstition started with the Catholic church,” Soboleski says. This resulted in centuries of consequences for cats who had absolutely nothing to do with it.

5. Adopting a black cat saves lives.

Adopting any pet makes room for another animal in need, but black cats are among the most at-risk for prolonged shelter stays and euthanasia.

6. It’s possible to take great photos of your black cat.

Natural light is everything: Find a sunny spot and skip the flash, Lenac says. “They look great on bright green and purple blankets because those colors seem to contrast with their fur and eyes beautifully,” she says, adding that catching them mid-play or with their tongue out really lets their personality shine. 

7. Their eyes are stunning.

Usually green, gold, copper, or amber — and occasionally blue — every color looks extraordinary against black fur. “There’s something so special about the way their eyes glow,” says adopter Carolina L.

8. Your black cat might “rust.”

If your black cat spends a lot of time in the sun and is starting to look a little brownish, reddish, or has hues of orange, don’t panic. Sun can bleach the pigment in their fur temporarily. When they shed — typically twice a year — it grows back. House panther, fully restored.

9. You’re joining a whole community.

Void cat parents are their own corner of the internet — Reddit threads, TikTok accounts, and Instagram feeds of floating eyes. 

10. You will love your black cat.

“If you take a chance on a black cat, you won’t regret it,” Lenac says. “They’re just as loving and affectionate as cats with different fur colors and deserve a life filled with love, not hate.”

How to adopt a void

Start your search for an adoptable black cat at Adopt a Pet. In addition to filtering by coat color and location, you can narrow your search by age, coat type, and temperament (like if they’re good with kids, dogs, or other cats). From there, browse each cat’s profile and read their bio to learn more about their personality and quirks that don’t always show up in photos. If the profile photo shows two eyes floating in darkness and not much else, it’s worth giving their bio a read.

Commonly asked questions

Are black cats actually bad luck? 

No, in many cultures, black cats are considered symbols of good luck and prosperity.

Why are black cats called ‘void cats’?

Because black cats can blend into shadows and dark spaces, they may appear to just be two floating eyes, if you see them at all. The internet noticed, and the nickname “void cat” stuck.

Are black cats harder to adopt? 

Black cats are not harder to adopt — still, they are less adopted than cats of other colors. Black cat bias is a documented phenomenon rooted in negative stigmas, photography challenges, and centuries of superstition. Black cats remain among the most common colors in shelters and consistently wait longer than other cats to find homes.

What breeds can be all black? 

Many breeds can have black coats, including Maine Coons, Persians, Exotics, Devon Rex, Norwegian Forest Cats, and more. The Bombay, however, is the only breed that is truly all black. 

Do black cats have different personalities from other cats? 

No, black cats do not have different personalities from other cats — this is a coat color, not a breed. Any cat’s personality is shaped by genetics and lived experience, not the color of their fur.

Why do black cats look different in sunlight? 

Black coloration comes from an overproduction of pigment, which UV exposure can temporarily bleach. This can turn the fur reddish, brownish, or orange. When they shed, typically twice a year, their coat grows back black. 

References 

“2025 Annual Data Report”. Animal Shelters Count. https://www.shelteranimalscount.org/wp-content/uploads/2025-Year-End-Report-FINAL-2.pdf

Elvers, G. C., Gavin, B., & Crutcher, R. J. (2024). Explicit and Implicit Measures of Black Cat Bias in Cat and Dog People. Animals: an open access journal from MDPI, 14(23), 3372. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14233372.