We all have superstitions - whether it's the traditional throwing spilled salt over your left shoulder or a ritual you have to carry out before an important exam.
But perhaps in Shropshire, the county in England where I lived before moving to Moose Jaw, people have taken their superstitious worries a bit too far.
Staff at the RSPCA Gonsal Farm animal centre in Dorrington have designated October as 'black cat awareness month' in an attempt to find new homes for the unwanted felines.
Staff at the centre, which looks after abandoned animals, say they are overrun with black cats and kittens and they are concerned people might be scared by black cats, especially in the run up to Halloween.
The superstition declares that if a black cat walks towards you, there is good luck coming your way but if it turns away, bad luck is in the cards.
A black cat crossing your path from left to right is good luck but if you chase black cats out of your house, ill fortune will fall on the home.
Stroking the fur of black cats will bring health and wealth.
From these superstitions, I would say as long as you don't let the cat turn its back on you and make sure you let it stay in the house when it wants to, the black cat will generally be a source of good luck.
I certainly would love to have a black cat, or, in fact, any cat. My parents' cats Mungo and Jerrie, who I grew up with, are both black and white but I think the superstition generally refers to all black cats.
I love cats and think a home isn't a proper one without one of the affectionate and loving creatures to curl up with on a cold, winter's evening.
Hopefully people in Shropshire will hear about the many black cats in need of a home and try their luck with a new pet.
In America, apparently some animal shelters are putting a ban on the adoption of black cats until Halloween is over because they fear people may use them for pranks or even worse.
In one news article I read, it states the animal orphanage in Old Town, Maine, recognizes people may use black cats for sacrificial purposes at this time of year.
But many think this kind of ban is just promoting the black cat's association with witchcraft.
I would expect animal shelters to carefully screen people looking for pets for adoption and make sure they are going to a good home.
Anyone who might have horrible intentions should be caught during their vetting process.
Superstitions about the black cat are outdated and banning their adoption just perpetuates the poor cats' reputation. Of course, some superstitions are just for fun, such as finding a four-leaf clover for good luck.
Others are practical such as not walking under a ladder, which makes complete sense as you don't want a bucket of water or paint to land on your head. But a black cat is just a little animal in need of a home, whether it's Halloween or the middle of summer.
During my extensive Internet research about superstitions, I did come across some amusing ones I thought I would share with you.
Apparently to cure a cough, which many people seem to be suffering from at the moment, take a hair from the coughing person's head, put it between two slices of buttered bread, feed it to a dog, and say, "Eat well you hound, may you be sick and I be sound."
Another reads that if an eyelash falls out, put it on the back of the hand, make a wish and throw it over your shoulder. If it flies off the hand the wish will be granted. This is actually something I automatically do without thinking. If there's a chance a wish will come true, you might as well try.
My husband and I also always pull the wish bone on our roast chickens. Whoever gets the longest piece gets their wish granted. Last week, my husband won. This week, hopefully, it will be my turn and all my wishes will come true, as long as I truly believe in the superstition, of course.
