Salem’s Black Cat Star, Lucipurr, Helps Raise Money for Animal Shelters

Lucipurr, a charismatic black cat, has become the unofficial mascot of Salem's Halloween festivities.

Over the past several years, the black cat has become a social media sensation. Lucipurr has 11,000 Facebook followers who want to see him.

Lucipurr's owner, Landon Blais, told NBC10 Boston he believes there's a reason for Lucipurr's appeal. “I brought him down as a kitten," Blais said. "Someone took a picture, and it went crazy, then I realized how good it would be. He's been a great ambassador for the rescues and stuff to show black cats are awesome. They're not bad luck. They're good luck.”

Through in-person encounters and on Facebook, Blais encourages people to donate funds to support local animal shelters. He adopted Lucipurr from Halfway Home Cat Rescue. Today, Lucipurr has helped Blais raise thousands of dollars to help other animals find their forever homes. This year, Blais is working with Halfway Home Cat Rescue and PALS Animal Life Savers.

Lucipurr isn't the only black cat celebrity from Salem. In 2021, Nadine Kostoski, a social worker, started bringing her two black cats, Meiko and Kiko, to a grocery store with her. At the Black Cat Curiosity Shoppe, two felines named Hikaru and Kaoru work as greeters during the off-season, when the store is less crowded, said owner Lara Fury to The Boston Globe.

“Everybody loves black cats in Salem. They're part of the landscape. Everything is expected to have black cats, which is why seeing them for real is so special,” said Fury.