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Reasons to Adopt a Black Cat or Dog! Stomp Out Black Dog/Cat Syndrome!

Started 7 months ago by furryfaces
Latest reply from mehud7

furryfaces
Member Profile

There are lots of humorous reasons to adopt a black cat or dog—
-a black cat doesn’t need a costume for Halloween
-a black dog goes with any decor
-their fur doesn’t show on dark clothes
-black dogs don’t show dirt

The best reason is more serious. Black cats & dogs are much less likely to be adopted because—

-they don’t photograph well
-they aren’t distinctive like a calico cat or a dog with spots
-they don’t stand out in a sea of black cats or dogs
-some people are still superstitious

If they aren’t euthanized, black kittens & puppies tend to stay longer in shelters. Then they are no longer cute kittens or puppies, making it even tougher to get them adopted. It’s such a pervasive problem that shelters organize special adoption events just for black cats and there’s a whole organization dedicated to promoting the adoption of black dogs called BlackPearlDogs.com.

In my experience, black cats are like any other cat. The can be sweet, silly, clever, feisty, loungers, or whirlwinds. They are as beautiful as any other cat if not more so. They aren’t identical. And those of us who share our lives with them are very fond of them.

Black dogs are just as wonderful as any other dog. And they are in such great need of adoption. Bark has an article on the plight of black dogs in animals shelters and what’s being done to help them. Black dogs aren’t identical either—they have a huge range of body types and characteristics. The can be herders, retrievers, pointers, or sleepers.

Every pet adoption is a life saved, but in the case of black cats & dogs, you’re saving a life that’s at an even higher risk of being cut short.

From: http://petprojectblog.com/archives/cats/reasons-to-adopt-a-black-cat-or-dog/

Posted 7 months ago #
DBP
Member Profile

f-f-fascinating!

Good karma to YOU, my f-furry f-felinophilic f-friend.

Posted 7 months ago #
Speedy
Member Profile

I'd like to adopt another cat but worry my current nine-year indoor only feline (black, of course!) would not be so welcoming. She has always been the only cat and has gotten quite agitated in the past if she sees another cat in the backyard. Is it possible to "borrow" a potential cat to see how they might get along?

Posted 7 months ago #
pigeonmom
Member Profile

The love of my life is a 13 year old "tuxedo" dog.
He has a lovely black suit, white shirt and white paw tips.
I call him an equal opportunity shedder.
His black fur sticks to my white clothes and
vice versa. :-)

Posted 7 months ago #
Sue
Member Profile

As the owner of a black cat, I wholeheartedly agree. C'mon ... all the cool kids have black cats and dogs. :)

Posted 7 months ago #
squareeyes
Member Profile

@Speedy, not to be a debbie downer, but introducing a new cat to an only can take you as long as a month. It might help some if the new cat is a juvenile and eventually it will be disciplined by the older cat and boundaries set, but you would need to introduce them slowly -- keep them separated for the first few days, allow them supervised access to each other after that, and keep them separated when not supervised until they can mostly live in peace. But it could be a noisy, aggressive, upsetting first few weeks.

Posted 7 months ago #
celeste17
Member Profile

I have a black cat and I love her. She has red undertones in her fur. She is a terror at times but a lover none the less. I adopted her from Kitty Harbor two years ago.

Posted 7 months ago #
furryfaces
Member Profile

Hi Speedy,

Since you aren't sure if your 'only child' will like another child, you may want to consider fostering. By fostering, you have not made a lifetime commmitment; are giving another cat a safe haven until they find their forever home; and if your cat does like the foster cat, it will only be there until adopted.

Sometimes, after a few rounds of fostering, the only child cat starts to get use to other cats; is more accepting; and a match made in heaven occurs. ;0) Sometimes the only child cat ends up falling in love with the very first foster!

If you are interested in fostering, you may want to try:

Friends of the Animals Foundation
Kitty Harbor
Seattle Animal Shelter

Thanks for thinking about bringing another furry friend into your family.

PS...if you are wanting a kitten, foster a litter. This way the kittens keep each other occupied, while big cat rules their kingdom, deciding if s/he wants to interact with the little balls of fur.

Posted 7 months ago #
oddreality
Member Profile

I love black dogs and cats. If I was not full up I'd get another one. Another mid size black dog is in my future but not just yet.

Posted 7 months ago #
hammerhead
Member Profile

speedy, agreed on the fostering 1st.

otherwise I totally have to disagree with keeping them separated. I think it causes more stress and trust me, with me bringing kittens into my household and letting them hang with my crew. They get over themselves in a day or two. My adults are already sleeping the kittens. My dogs love the kittens and they sleep together on the dog beds.

1st and foremost, your cat must come 1st as I am sure you know.

good luck

FCAT

Posted 7 months ago #
mehud7
Member Profile

Thanks Furry Faces for mentioning the struggles of being a black cat and the suggestion of fostering. Friends of the Animals Foundation has the three sweetest five month old black kittens available for adoption at Next to Nature. They have been there about three weeks now. Their black friend Cougar was adopted tonight but still they wait. Big Black, Little Black, amd Boy get along with dogs and cats. They would do great with kids. They do not have to be adopted together, but it would be fun!

Posted 7 months ago #
DBP
Member Profile

Did you know . . . that in Europe, in the Middle Ages, cats of all colors were rounded up and burned by angry mobs.

Their crime? –Fraternizing with witches.

Of course the witches were rounded up, too.
For fraternizing with cats.

Ahem!

Well naturally after the cats were gone the rats were out there in the streets, partying like it was 1399.

So were the fleas.

But like Mama used to say, It's all fun and games until somebody catches The Plague —and before you could say "Grizabella and Rumpleteazer" half of northern Europe was dead and a bowl of cornflakes was going for 1,000 guilders.

So why don't you just reflect on that the next time you catch yourself thinking bad thoughts about a black pussy cat.

I hereby put a CURSE on all superstitions.
And a pox, too.

A cox.

Posted 7 months ago #
furryfaces
Member Profile

Three black kittens! Now that would be fun. Hope someone reads this posting and comes by to meet them.

Posted 7 months ago #
TDe
Member Profile

If laughter really is the best medicine, then DBP, you are the ultimate healer.

Posted 7 months ago #
Jspiff
Member Profile

My partner and I adopted our sweet Seamus in January, and he has completely won our hearts. He'such a love. Sixteen pounds of pure black, furry, purring sweetness. I can't believe that no one adopted him in the four months that he lived in a cage, but I like to think that he was waiting for just the right people to come along. We're very happy that he chose us.

Posted 7 months ago #
furryfaces
Member Profile

Anyone adopt a black cat, black dog or black bunny in the last few days? If so, would love to hear about your new companion!

Posted 7 months ago #
Robindianne
Member Profile

I'm fostering a cutey pie 8-weekish black kitten until he's deemed ready for adoption through SAS. He's a purr monkey, takes great naps in the crook of my neck (so it's his fault I took big long a nap today :), and we call him Tumnus (although with his kinky crimped tail we could go with Bob). If anyone's interested in adopting him later, you can reply here. He's not on petfinder yet, likely in 2 weeks.

We also adopted a black cat -beautiful sweet boy- from Pamela at FAF. Fantastic pet, purrs up a storm, talks back to me, rubs his head all over the dogs and lays with them (and our other FAF cat - nonblack, sorry). He also gets along with all the fosters we provide temporary homes for, grooming them whether they want it or not.

Yay for black cats!!

Posted 7 months ago #
luckymom30
Member Profile

We have a male black cat who was a former feral had him for 2 years and then we adopted via Vashon Island Pet Protectors a female tabby who is 1 year older than the male cat. We kept them apart for afew weeks and then introduced them, the male cat was very upset we brought anyone new into our family but over a short period of time they grew to be friends and now 3 years later they sleep next to each other, play together. We can't imagine not having either cat in our family. Both are indoor only cats.

Posted 7 months ago #
mehud7
Member Profile

One of the three black 5.5 month old siblings was adopted today at Next to Nature! Boy found the perfect home. Sisters Big Black and Little Black are still available.

Posted 7 months ago #