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*A Tumblr user recently mentioned that animal shelters in her community have seen an unusual increase in the adoption of black cats since the release of “Black Panther.”
“Unexpected benefit of Black Panther: my local pet shelters went from having something like 50-60 black cats between them to having NONE because they’ve all been adopted out and named after the characters,” the user wrote on the microblogging platform. “T’challa is the most popular, but there are a fair number of Okoyes and Shuris as well.”
They user jokingly added, “And one very confused Elderly Humane Society Volunteer wondering why someone would name such a sweet cat Killmonger.”
The adoption spike is even more touching considering that black cats have the lowest adoption rates due to their association with bad luck and witchcraft. The user reassures readers that the felines are going to good homes — and not likely to be returned.
“For everyone in the comments worried about the cats being abandoned after the ‘fad’ fades… I live in Durango, CO, and the shelters are SUPER small so they do their best to make sure people are really ready to take a pet home for good,” the user explained before listing the requirements needed to take a black cat home, including a checklist of supplies required and an extensive questionnaire.
“According to Mary, who runs the cattery, these cats are mostly being adopted to people who were looking to adopt a cat in general, then see the black kitties and go ‘LIKE BLACK PANTHER’ and take them home, so for once, black cats are being adopted first,” the user noted.
Meanwhile, “Black Panther” has now moved past a trio of blockbusters at the box office — “The Lion King,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” — to become the 17th highest domestic release in only 13 days.
The Marvel film took in $6.8 million on Wednesday, lifting its North American total to $428.7 million. It’s now $7 million behind “E.T. — The Extraterrestrial” for the 16th spot.
The film also grossed $8.3 million internationally on Wednesday to push the worldwide take to $763.3 million, surpassing “The Amazing Spider-Man.”
Recent forecasts place “Black Panther” with $55 million and $75 million in North America to dominate the box office again in its third weekend. That list is currently headed by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at $90.2 million, followed by “Avatar” at $68.5 million, and “The Avengers” at $55.6 million.
It could become one of only 10 movies to cross the $500 million domestic mark by the end of the upcoming weekend.
“Black Panther” faces competition from the openings of a pair of R-rated thrillers: Fox’s Jennifer Lawrence spy saga “Red Sparrow” and MGM’s re-imagined “Death Wish.” Recent tracking placed “Red Sparrow” in the $15 million-to-$19 million range and “Death Wish” with about $14 million to $16 million.
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