The 2024 animated adventure film “Flow” directed by Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis, follows the story of a dark grey cat as he navigates through a post-apocalyptic and flood-devastated world along with other animals. Nevertheless, due to its popularity and charm, several reports have noted an increase in interest in adopting black cats from shelters.
The Flow Effect: The Award-Winning Animated Film is Boosting Black Cat Popularity Adoption Rates But Concerns Have Been Raised
A Surge in Black Cat Popularity
It is worth noting that the film became the most-viewed theatrical film in Latvian history and has grossed over USD 36 million as of February 2025 compared to its modest budget of around USD 4.8 million. It has received an 8.5 rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 87 out of 100 on the review aggregator Metacritic. Flow also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature and has become the first Latvian film and the first animated independent film to earn an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Nevertheless, due to the overwhelming positive critical reception it has received after its initial release date in May 2024 at Cannes, the animated film has been shown in theaters in different countries. Moreover, depending on geographic regions, it has been available on several on-demand video streaming platforms like Amazon Prime, HBO Max, and Apple TV. The expanding reach of Flow means that it is capturing a wider audience across the world.
The popularity of Flow and its undeniable charm has sparked a surge in black cat adoption in various shelters. For example, the Animal Protection Association, a nonprofit animal welfare organization based in Indiana that promotes pet adoption, has noted a 30 percent increase in black cat adoption. The organization attributes this surge to the trend surrounding Flow. Social media posts from Madman Films and Black Cat Crew have also noted a rise in black cat adoption rates and engagement in content related to black cats.
Concerns Over Adoption Trends
A growing acceptance of black cats is a welcome development. Shelters have been reporting that these animals are often overlooked due to their fur color. This is called the black cat bias. In several cultures, black cats are historically linked to misfortunes, witchcraft, death, or evilness. A survey of 2000 British adults found that 12 percent avoid adopting black-furred pets because they believe these animals bring bad luck. Some individuals perceive black cats as less approachable or more aggressive than other-colored cats.
However, while trends in pop culture can confront biases related to pet adoption norms and encourage the wider acceptance of animals with certain characteristics, these developments are not always positive. Films like 101 Dalmatians and Lassie resulted in a dog adoption surge. However, in a short period, a lot of these adopted pets were abandoned because owners struggled to care for them or were unfamiliar with how to provide proper care.
Animal shelters in Latvia do not appear to be experiencing beyond-the-normal black cat adoption rates according to a feature ran by Latvian public broadcaster LSM. This is a positive sign. Shelters are aware that overwhelming interest in pets with specific characteristics often points to a short-lived fad driven by media influence or a related pop cultural trend. The problem with an adoption fad or trend is that it creates a bandwagon effect in which people are adopting behaviors or beliefs simply because others are doing so.