Their scared, homeless mother was rescued in March from behind an apartment complex in Cary, just in time to deliver her kittens at a shelter.

Cat Angels, the group that rescued them, delighted in their personalities. Ladybug and Dragonfly would gently place their paws on the cheeks of anyone who scooped them up.

After being fixed, dewormed and vaccinated, the cats -- along with siblings Grasshopper and Junebug -- were ready for someone to take them home.

Grasshopper and Junebug were snatched up in August.

But Ladybug and Dragonfly are still waiting. Such is the life of a solid black cat.

Superstitions that black cats are evil or bring bad luck have lingered for centuries. Halloween images of a black cat arching its back at the feet of a witch have created a stigma, causing fewer cat lovers to opt for inky felines.

"I really have had people tell me that black cats have demons in them," said Megan Chavis, director of operations at AniMall in Cary. "Or they're just not friendly or they have a bad personality."

Black cats are half as likely to be adopted as tabby cats and two-thirds less likely than white cats, according to a 2002 study by the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, which gathered data at a California facility over a nine-month period.

And a disproportionate number of black shelter cats are eventually euthanized, according to the study.

Now a number of western Wake County pet-rescue groups are fighting the stigma and offering promotions to encourage black-cat adoptions.

Through Halloween, the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Wake County is offering a discounted adoption fee of $31 for all black and orange cats, compared to the usual $95. The fee includes spaying or neutering, vaccines, deworming, a wellness exam and a microchip. "We're kind of turning that on its head and using the frenzy leading up to Halloween to celebrate black cats," said spokeswoman Mondy Lamb.

Marley's Cat Tales, a cat rescue group in Cary, this summer sponsored "Adopt a Carolina Panther," offering some black cats in teal collars, capitalizing on the football team's mascot. Up to 20 cats were put on display in cages decorated like mini-football fields, complete with litter box end zones. Shoppers were encouraged to adopt the "mini-panthers" -- without the mortal danger of the full-size version.

"We did average five adoptions per week, which was phenomenal for black cats," said Carol Deolloqui, director of Marley's Cat Tales.

The promotions also try to call attention to a color that may be slimming in clothes, but doesn't quite help cats stand out at a shelter.

Black pets are also hard to photograph, putting them at a disadvantage for online adoption Web sites, said Deborah Fox, co-founder of Cat Angels. They fade into shadows of crowded shelters. It's hard to see their expressions.

"They're featureless," said Fox.

Another strike against black pet adoption comes from their genes. The black color is dominant in both dogs and cats -- meaning there are just more of them.

The Wake SPCA reports that they have 90 cats, 33 of which are predominantly black or dark in color.

Lamb said they, along with many other shelters and rescues, have been cautious in the past of adopting out black cats around Halloween. There's been fear that people will adopt them around the spooky holiday for ritualistic torture, or merely as a disposable decoration.

Lamb also said that if they signed on to that particular myth, it would get in the way of their mission.

She has confidence in her group's adoption screening process, which includes an hour-long session on health and behavioral issues.

Meanwhile, Ladybug and Dragonfly are ready to pat a new owner's cheek -- as is their mother, Cricket, temporarily unavailable until she recovers from a kitty cold.