NEW ALBANY, Ind. — Monday’s total solar eclipse may turn out to be fortuitous for more than a dozen black cats at an Indiana animal shelter.

The New Albany-Floyd County Animal Shelter will offer about 15 of the golden-eyed felines free to approved adopters. The promotion will happen from noon to 4 p.m., during the eclipse. Shelter volunteers have dubbed it “Total Eclipse of the Cat” day.

According to shelter director David Hall, black cats are usually the last to be adopted from animal shelters — perhaps in part because of the myth that they bring bad luck.

“Statistically they stay longer at shelters. I think a lot of it is the cages are dark and black cats don’t show up like cats of other colors,” Hall said. “Sometimes the color of their eyes will get people’s attention. But if it’s just a plain black cat they have a hard time getting adopted.”

Hall said some of the cats available Monday have been at the shelter since June.

“People will be running around that day so they can come down here and have some fun,” he told the Jeffersonville, Indiana News and Tribune. “They will always remember the day they adopted their cat.”

Morris writes for the Jeffersonville, Indiana News and Tribune.