Black cats – waiting for loving homes – waiting, because too few people will adopt black cats!
This beautiful, black cat was photographed by Jane Burton. You can buy this print at AllPosters.Com.
Black cats are wonderful feline companions. Black cats are sweet, loving, compassionate, and precious in every way. So why are so many of them overlooked at shelters when other cats with variations in color catch the eye and get adopted?
I’m making this page to tell people — black cats need love too! Don’t be one of those who condemn black cats just because of the color of their fur. Prejudice against black cats is just as bad as prejudice against people of different countries and colors.
The black cat blessing
If you adopt a black shelter cat you will probably be surprised and pleased to learn that your new pet appreciates and loves you dearly.
In many countries, black cats are considered a sign of GOOD LUCK!
Abandoned black kittens – …someone left them in a forested area at the end of my driveway.
June 14 – Two weeks ago I rescued three kittens that had been abandoned at the end of my driveway. Two are black; one is black and white. They’re about six weeks old and we can’t keep them for several reasons mostly due to the economy and our living arrangements. At this time I can’t make a 10-15 year commitment to a cat.
So last Saturday I packed the two black kittens into a box and took them to the farmers market at the local mercantile. I set the box near the front door in the shade, set my chair beside it, and put up a sign: “Abandoned Kittens Need Homes.”
The first person to take an interest was a young man; his mother, however, took one look and said, “No, they’re black. We’d rather have cats with interesting markings.”
Sorry to say, that upset me. I needed to find homes for these fine and adorable felines and someone rejected them just because they were black. They are friendly, good-natured, playful, and box trained. What more could you want? They’re sweet as can be!
Next to the door of the mercantile there’s a bulletin board where I saw a poster put up by an acquaintance who stated she had eight black cats — all spayed and neutered — and wanted people to adopt them so she could move. Obviously she cared enough to feed and neuter these cats, so she had nothing against black cats, but will people actually adopt them from her?
Later that morning another woman I know walked up and looked at the kittens I had with me and she nearly started crying. She said, “Those are some of mine,” and was obviously traumatized.
She told me she’s taking care of thirteen cats — all black — and they aren’t spayed or neutered because she has no transportation. She’s feeding them because nobody else wanted them.
We live in the boonies, 70 miles from the nearest spay/neuter clinic. She told me that when the local tribe (Native American tribe) had their spay/neuter clinics (2001, 2002, 2003) she took all her pets there because it was accessible. But they stopped doing that and she has no way to get her cats to Yreka, so apparently they’ve been producing lots of black kittens… and someone (not her) was taking them places and either killing or dumping them… and around here in the forest abandoning kittens is the same as killing them.
If I’d left the three I found in the woods, they probably would have become fox or mountain lion food. I felt I absolutely HAD to rescue them. And now I’m saddled with a problem that I didn’t create because if they were my cats their parents would have been spayed or neutered.
I asked the woman if she wanted the kittens back and of course she didn’t because she doesn’t have resources to take care of them. Even feeding the thirteen black cats she’s now got is too much for her.
So here we are … three women taking care of homeless black cats. Cats that many others won’t accept because of the color of their fur.
Black cats are lovable too and deserve good homes!
Kitten Updates
July 26 – Three young adults came by and adopted the black and white kitten. So now we’ve got only the two black kittens, plus one I didn’t tell you about before… Midnight, another black cat, about a year old, that lost one eye in a fight. We will probably keep him. I’ve named the two black kittens Shadow and Mischief. Mischief is heavier and has light green eyes like Midnight’s. We believe Midnight could be a big brother to these two… he also came to us as a stray when he was in need of healing. Mischief is the more active kitten. Shadow has brown eyes and is very mellow most of the time.
October 12 – We’ve had Shadow and Mischief over a year now. They’ve been neutered – that helped quite a bit to calm them down. For a while they fought with each other constantly, but they’re able to enjoy brotherly companionship again now. When they were younger Mischief was larger, but now he’s thin and wiry (and very hyper) and his brother, Shadow, has surpassed him in weight. Shadow is more laid-back and mellow. When I take my black dog, Mairi, for a walk, both black cats like to follow along. At first they were afraid of Mairi, but now they know she doesn’t want to hurt them and they try to get affection from her by rolling over onto their backs, exposing their tummies in front of her.
May 23 – Shadow and Mischief still live here and … I cannot tell them apart! One is mellow, one is more mischievous. That’s all I know. Bob can tell which is which. I can’t. Now we’ve got a feral cat living under our house. He (or she?) is small, probably still a kitten, dark brindle colored (Bob says Calico but I don’t think that’s quite right.) We’re going to have to trap it and get it neutered before something else happens. The new cat has no name, and hasn’t warmed up to us at all, but Shadow and Mischief have been fairly hospitable and welcoming. [Update: the new cat is a Tortoise Shell cat.]
September 28 – Sad to report, our Shadow moved on to cross the Rainbow Bridge. He was a bit slow witted and didn’t take our instruction to stay away from the highway. That was his undoing. The highway is downhill… not close to our house. He always wanted to cross it to get to the wild places over there, and the big river. His brother, Mischief, remains in our care. He’s a bit spoiled… and highly intelligent. He could rule the house if he wanted to, but instead he is content to be ordered around by Bob. Mischief loves to spend time visiting with our two black dogs, and is loved deeply by a tortoise-shelled black/orange female cat who lives outdoors. And another stray came our way – a starving and injured Himalayan. Mischief doesn’t care for that cat (Kitty Kay or K3) but they co-exist giving each other a wide berth.
Black cat in basket, waiting for adoption. Photo via Pixabay.
Cat adoptions – Inspiring stories of cats who were blessed with loving homes.
Without A Home – Inspiring and Heartfelt Tales of Cat Adoptions
This book contains fictional stories about cat adoptions by Elaine Marlier. These stories are appropriate for reading to children.
Story titles are: “Broken Tail Kitty,” “Tasha and Her Kittens,” “May,” and “Jelly and Justin.”
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Cat shelters vary. When I adopted Aretha she was in a small cage for many months, waiting for love. No socialization, and no exercise. What a terrible way for a cat to have to live.
The humane society shelter near where I live is much different. They have created two cattery rooms where cats can move around, play with other cats and with cat toys, and have a good time.
If there’s room in your life for a cat, please consider visiting a shelter to see the cats there. You may find the perfect companion, and it will have all needed shots and be neutered before you take it home. That’s a great start, and well-worth the money spent for a healthy cat with good prospects.
