However, no breed of cat can be totally hypoallergenic. “Just remember that all cats produce a protein in their saliva that can trigger reactions in sensitive humans,” Dr MacMillian warns.

The last confirmed sighting in Texas was in Brownsville in 1986, according to the department. What if these “black panthers” people claim to see are a new cat breed?

The jury’s still out on whether black cats, like the beautiful Bombay, are lucky or unlucky. But what we are certain of is that these glossy-haired black beauties are one of the best cat breeds ...