TORONTO – It seems times are changing when it comes to judging a cat by its colour.

Until just a few years ago bans on adopting black cats at Halloween were common in order to keep the kitties from being harmed by pranksters or abusers.

But animal welfare activists say black cats are no longer the Halloween season victims they may once have been.

In fact, two major animal welfare groups are now promoting the adoption of black cats in October, saying they could use the marketing boost.

They say black animals in general tend to get adopted last as they’re less visible in kennels, don’t photograph as well and in the case of cats, may still be considered bad luck by some.

The Ontario O-S-P-C-A is offering a five-dollar discount on the adoption of black cats leading up to Halloween.

Spokeswoman Allison Cross said investigators haven’t found a spike in cat cruelty cases in October and the organization has faith in its rigorous screening process.

The Nova Scotia S-P-C-A takes the same approach, saying growing demand for its shelter services means it can’t afford to include barriers to adoption.