'If my cat loves anything more than treats and chin scratches, it's attempting insurance fraud': Void cat owners share their funniest near-misses raising a cat you can't actually see in the dark.

Author image for Ayala Sorotsky
Ayala Sorotsky • Writer and Editor
Jul 26, 2026 2:15 PM EDT

Raising a black cat is daily cuteness and nightly hazards.

There's nothing in the entirety of common experiences shared by cat parents worldwide more relatable to me than the actual risk of raising a black-furred cat. Not because they're extra spicy in their behavior or something - the voids are actually known to be very sweet, and they borderline the orange cats' silliness from time to time - but because they're literally so hard to spot in the dark. I'm serious. When night descends, there's a 50-50 chance I'm going to bump into my cat, with varying degrees of potential unintentional force. That's a pawblem.

My black cat is named Cassie. I named her like this when she was a wee month-old kitten after Cassandra Pentaghast from the Dragon Age games. The character is a fierce warrior with strong sword swings and an even stronger conviction. She also has black hair… and that's where the similarities between the fantasy character and my cat end. My Cassie is a silly baby, at best. She sleeps on the office table as I write these very lines, and I only know it's her and not a pile of black shirts because she got up from my lap to reach there.

This is a serious(ly funny) problem all pawrents of the voids share. How do we know we're not about to step right on our beloved black-floofed babies in the middle of the night? We don't. We just don't, and somehow our cats are still surprised. For example, Cassie was aghast when I grabbed her from the closet early in the morning, when the room was still dark, because I wanted to wear a simple black t-shirt. Little did I know she was sleeping right on my shirts' shelf like it's a queen-size bed.

Black cats are magic, for sure. But mainly invisibility magic - especially when it's nighttime.

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  • 01
    Has anyone almost stepped on their black cat at night?
    via Reddit
  • 02
    Lights are off, it's dark and just as you're about to step somewhere the cat bolts away. Now you have to put the lights on even at 3 in the morning now - it's too dangerous!
    via Reddit
  • 03
    A symmetrical face close-up of a black cat with green eyes, behind it a black background.
    via Briam-Cute from Pixabay

    A symmetrical face close-up of a black cat with green eyes, behind it a black background.

    Model representation and image does not depict characters from the story

  • 04
    runningskirtsnmanis no, but I've petted my husband's black bathrobe (with its belt "tail") lying in a pool on the bed.
    via runningskirtsnmanis
  • 05
    Ludna I've done this countless times lol. Petted a bundled up cardigan or shirt. It's funny because they end up looking like a pile of clothing when taking photos of them in a poorly lit room.
    via Ludna
  • 06
    misstamilee I saw a pile of black fur next to me in bed, proceeded to give it middle-of-the-night- scritches, only to realize a few moments later it was my husband sleeping weird
    via misstamilee
  • 07
    trialbytrailer I've tried to pet my husband's work boots many times. It goes the other way, too. While stepping over [what I thought were] his boots in the dark, I nearly fell over when they meowed at me.
    via trialbytrailer
  • 08
    Black cat sits in front of a dark background, blending in; the clearest features are its yellow eyes.
    via bongbabyhousevn from Pixabay

    Black cat sits in front of a dark background, blending in; the clearest features are its yellow eyes.

    Model representation and image does not depict characters from the story

  • 09
    KozimaPain I did this with a rolled up blanket! It wasn't even dark, I had my glasses off and I thought he was just loafing →
    via KozimaPain
  • 10
    [deleted] 100%. Mine will just sit in the hallway staring at me, assuming I also have night vision and will not run into him. Have accidentally ran into him so often, to which he just chirps a little "why are you like this" and trots off.
    via Reddit
  • 11
    hedderw I have a cute black kitten who likes to sleep in my black office chair. I plopped myself into that chair one night and we were both very surprised.
    via hedderw
  • 12
    Ludna My mother nearly sat on our kitten. I had to literally swoop in and hold her bottom up like a car jack while scooping the kitty up with my other arm. I doubt either of them understood what I was doing in the moment.
    via Ludna
  • 13
    Face close-up of a black kitten with bright green eyes.
    via @ales-munt

    Face close-up of a black kitten with bright green eyes.

    Model representation and image does not depict characters from the story

  • 14
    Ancient Ad1700 We have 2 black kittens that my husband refers to as "The dementors" they just sort of swoop around right where you are planning to step lol
    via Ancient_Ad1700

  • If there's something that's shared amongst all cats, it's that “I'm walking right in front of your legs” activity, completely regardless of whether we're about to step on them or not. But when it's a black cat who does that, at night, when you're going to the bathroom - it becomes an immediate house hazard and potential “angry cat syndrome” starting until the next morning.

  • 15
    [deleted] Omg I have to turn all the lights on because going to the bathroom requires going down the stairs...at my last house, I had three voids and it was quite treacherous...
    via Reddit
  • 16
    ShotgunCledus I have 2 voids, and they are in constant jeopardy with the lights off. Also, I'm walking on egg shells trying not to step on a t shirt because I'm certain it's them
    via ShotgunCledus
  • 17
    Cdestria I had a black rug in my hallway before I got my little void. He loved to lay on it and sleep. Couldn't see him at all. He nearly got stepped on so many times I rolled the rug up and stored it away.
    via Cdestria
  • 18
    A black cat on an even darker black background, looking at something off-frame.
    via deepspacedave

    A black cat on an even darker black background, looking at something off-frame.

    Model representation and image does not depict characters from the story

  • 19
    Bananafest Destiny I swear black cats are aware of their camouflage. My void loves to lay on anything black. If I throw down a black hoodie or blanket or towel he's laying on it within minutes.
    via BananafestDestiny
  • 20
    crimsonrhodelia Same with my boy! I keep a worn out black cashmere cardigan and a worn out grey one at the foot of my bed for him to sleep on, and he always goes for the black one.
    via crimsonrhodelia
  • 21
    dromaeovet veterinarian I've also apologized to a black sweatshirt thinking it was my cat
    via dromaeovet
  • 22
    mrsristretto My husband has done this one more than one occasion, or he attempts to pet said sweatshirt and is incredibly disappointed.
    via mrsristretto
  • 23
    Black cat lies down on a grey rug, looking up.
    via pixelshot

    Black cat lies down on a grey rug, looking up.

    Model representation and image does not depict characters from the story

  • 24
    espressoandfriction I drag my feet the whole way to the light switch. RemarkableStruggle9 Yup. Shuffle shuffle shuffle
    via espressoandfriction | RemarkableStruggle9
  • 25
    [deleted] if my cat loves anything more than treats and chin scratches, it's attempting insurance fraud
    via Reddit
  • 26
    Dachusblot I have a black futon that my cat is completely camouflaged in, so I've accidentally sat on him many times.
    via Dachusblot
  • 27
    sara_bear_8888 My comforter is a soft black faux fur and our poor baby has been yeeted more than once when we come to bed and pull the covers back to get in. He just blends in so well, we sometimes don't see him! We always try to remember to feel around for warm, lumpy spots now. Lol
    via sara_bear_8888
  • 28
    Black cat with yellow eyes on a dark grey background, professional photograph.
    via Claudia Wollesen from Pixabay

    Black cat with yellow eyes on a dark grey background, professional photograph.

    Model representation and image does not depict characters from the story

  • 29
    Ice_And_Slice I got motion sensor night lights for this exact reason! Now I can even see her coming without actually seeing her.
    via Ice_And_Slice
  • 30
    bellDor I was folding up some black clothes off my radiator once and a T-shirt had fallen on the ground. So I roughly grabbed it as I was in a rush. It was my cat. Poor thing
    via bellDor
  • 31
    cbelt3 Stepped briefly on many a tail, with a subsequent screech and an out of balance attempt to levitate the offending foot off the fluffy extremity. Then many deep apologies and hunts for badly offended felines so that cuddles and pets can be given. And punitive bites received..
    via cbelt3

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Tags

hilarious silly cats voids funny cats silly dark Cats hilarious cats funny black cat
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