A FERNDOWN animal charity is asking would-be pet owners to ‘paws’ for thought before rejecting black cats.

Cats Protection’s second annual Black Cat Day will take place on October 30 with the aim of encouraging people to find a place for the felines in their hearts and homes.

Black cats often tend to lose out on homes to more colourful felines, with around half of the 6,200 cats needing rehoming by the charity nationally either black or black and white.

On average, black cats also wait around a week longer than other moggies to be rehomed.

Emily Wren, deputy manager at Ferndown’s Homing Centre, said: “Once favoured by storytellers in tales of magic and witchcraft, black cats have developed an undeserved bad reputation that is still bubbling away.

“However, at Cats Protection we are standing up for the ‘under-cat’ and asking people to remember that fur colour is only skin deep and to consider taking a black cat into their home.”

The centre will host a ‘black cat’ coffee and cake morning on October 30 between 11am until 12.30pm, and all are welcome to attend.

There will also be half-term Halloween activities on October 29 from 1pm until 3pm.

For more information, visit ferndown.cats.org.uk or facebook.com/cpferndown