Everyone Move Up Two

Can you remember these two?

Bomber and Bruiser who came into our care at just a few hours old. We nursed them through the early hours and turned them into the type of soft cats that only hand rears can become.

Now usually such kittens fly out of our hands but not so this year. There has been a glut of unwanted kittens and sadly not equal numbers of new homes coming forward. And when new homes do come forward it is the ‘pretty’ cats that get picked first and the black kittens are overlooked.

Indeed we even had one prospective adopter listen intently to how marvellous these kittens are in nature but said point blank she wouldn’t bother even viewing them as they were ‘common’ black. Kittens and race relations – the next social barrier to hurdle!

Strangely I have read that animal shelters in the New Orleans area, who continue to do such sterling work in the aftermath of last year’s storm, have a similar problem homing black kittens, but also Tabbys which are hugely sought after here in the UK.

More fool the people who don’t come to see my beautiful boys and it is too late now. Today they went in to be castrated. They no longer have their baubles, their doodle-dahs are gone, they are knackerless. And as they went in for their little op we realised the bond between us is now too strong. When we collected them tonight they went mad with love when they saw us and us for them.

What’s another two? We probably can’t afford it but oh well, I could do with buying less food for myself!

Pass me the Yellow Pages someone – I need to phone Cats Anonymous – the rest fof you gather round and welcome Bomber and Bruiser Hobbs.

Comments

[Marjory]

This is awful. Thanks to your Blog (see -you. do some good), when my Mum was talking abou getting a rescue kitten I mentioned that you had said how unpopular black cats were in your neck of the woods. My Mum's reaction was that she couldn't see why on earth that should be and that she would love to have a black cat. Now she has one, partially because Coco was such a darling but also because of what I reported that you had said.

Keep up the good work. I shall keep my fingers crossed that someone will see fit (and be fit) to take on such lovely cats.

[Stegbeetle]

Can't believe it. People are so blind. To my mind very few cats are as attractive as something sleek and black like a panther.
Hail and well met, Bomber and bruiser!

[Cherrypie007]

My Darius is black and he is the sleekest, handsomest, most affectionate gorgeous cat that ever prowled the field at the back of the house. I wouldn't swap him for anything.

[Shintoga]

It's a sad fact that people can be so shallow in their inability to see beyond something's looks, although with fashion/inanimate objects this is by no means bad or wrong. Personally I love all black animals (except tarantulas, but spiders freak most people out anyway), and most of the cats that have passed through my family through the years were black (although that's mostly coincidence as the majority of them actually sort of turned up in our back garden as strays and eventually wormed their ways into the house, but anyway...) Nice blog, love your refreshing sense of humour too!

[Beki]

Welcome Shintoga!

The one that really bugs me, alongside deeming balck cats common, is when people ring up and want the current 'fashionable' colour cat.

A few years back we went through a spate of rescuing white persians - which people bought because of the Stuart Little films. Then we had the phonecalls wanting to adopt a 'barcadi' cat when the barcadi advert had a silver tabby on it. Perhaps if they rerun Sabrina the Teenage Witch, black cats will move up the fashion chart!

[Attila the Mom]

They're gorgeous! And I'm not even a cat person!

Does your organization require that new owners' spay or neuter their adoptees?

[Beki]

When people adopt a cat who hasn't yet been neutered they sign a contract to say they will arrange neutering at a the correct date, and they have a form which has to be verified by the vet and sent back to us and ALL are followed.

But when they get a kitten it is fully wormed, flea'd, vaccinated - all in all the kitten will have in the region of £180 work of work done on it not taking into account bed and board! In return they make a donation (usually about £20!) - now that is what I call a bargain.

All adult cats to be adopted are neutered before rehoming and tested for FLV/FIB. Once again people get a cat that's had a good £200 minimum spent on it for a small donation.

[Kate]

They have grown into beautiful cats! I can't understand why anyone wouldn't want them, personally, I love black cats. Mind you, I like them in any colour.

Anyhow, people who pick a pet based on it's colour really shouldn't have one. I was talking to a lady recently who volunteers for a dog rescue home and she told me they have a similar problem with certain dogs, for example white boxers - for some reason people just don't want them.