Black Cat Appreciation Day

[vilakins]

Apparently it was Black Cat Appreciation Day yesterday (17th) in the US. They're adopted last there (my Sebastian, shown here, was at the Lonely Miaow months after his sibs, but that may have been shyness) and are five times more likely to be put to sleep at shelters in the US because of this, but why? Stupid superstition? [Edit: yes, apparently, they're regarded as bad luck there.] Going by the black cats I've known, they're stunningly beautiful, sweet-natured, and so loving and faithful. Adopting Sebastian was one of the best decisions I've made.


Just after we adopted him


In a snuggler


In the garden

What's not to love?

Comments

[britgeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

Aww, your Sebastian and my Jack could be sibs - they've both got the same little sprinkling of white hairs!

Alex and I adopted Jack from the county shelter in an October and they almost didn't let us have him because they had learned the hard way to NOT adopt black cats during the run-up to Halloween. People either did horrible things to them, or used them as accessories for a party and then returned them to the shelter (which ran a 30-days-no-questions-asked return policy)

But when the lady behind the counter saw Alex and I splutter with outrage at hearing this, she decided we must be legit and so the cat later known as Bowling Ball Butt joined the household. ;)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Has Jack got more on his lower tummy? :-) My sister's black cat had the same markings.

Oh God, that makes me feel sick. That doesn't really happen here (I think Sebastian was shyer than the other kittens at the foster home so that may have been a factor) but I found homes for two black cats in the past, a stray and a rescue from a garage prison (an unwanted gift). I'd have kept them if our other cats at the time had accepted them but one went to a colleague who spoiled him rotten on steak, and the other found a home via the vet. I used to visit him every day and promised him that I'd keep him anyway if he didn't find a home, but a family adopted him. The vet did say that a woman had been interested earlier but they got bad vibes and turned her down, but really, I've never heard of anything bad here, and don't want to. I truly hope we don't import more of that sort of American culture.

I've also heard that people think they can't see their expressions as well (I can!) and that black kittens aren't as appealing. SO what; they grow into magnificence.

I'm glad Jack is so lucky and found a great home and lots of love. A pity black cats aren't the lucky symbol they are in England.

Are he and Pixel getting on any better?

[britgeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

From what I understand, practically ALL shelters and foster orgs have a don't-adopt-out-black-cats-during-October policy, so the little guys are generally safe but, yeah, what a pisser that situation exists to demand such a policy...

Jack has a few scattered white hairs here and there - a couple on his flank, one on his tail - but none of significance on his belly.

(Did you know that the reason why you see very few *truly all black* cats - in areas where they're considered unlucky - is because superstitious folks believed that coal-black cats were of the devil, but if it could be shown to have even JUST ONE white hair in its coat, then it couldn't be in Satan's grasp and was therefore spared an unpleasant end? As those almost-black cats survived in much greater numbers, it's become such that a truly all-black cat is quite rare. Almost all of them will have a little sprinkling of a few white hairs SOMEWHERE. Lo! I am the queen of trivia!)

Pixel and Jack aren't necessarily getting on any better, but since I took to wielding "The Hissy Bottle", the muggings seem to have decreased in ferocity and frequency (or he's only doing them when I'm not home!)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

A Welsh friend just told me about the white hairs on FB! Persecution never happened here, but even so, I thought all black cats had at least a few white hairs. Sebastian has them on his chest and belly--and also all over him as random individual hairs. :-) On the vet records, he's described as B&W.

Ashley has just come in (slightly damp) and insisted on attention, pointing out that she too has only B&W hairs, which is true when you look at her closely. It's amazing how they combine to make her silver-tabby coat.

I don't have any suggestions for Pixel and Jack, sadly. Jasmin and Ashley adored each other till they were about three, then went right off each other; getting Sebastian actually helped to defuse that. It's a pity though as my previous two pairs get on well their whole lives, but the upside it having got Sebastian. :-)