Raven making faces
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.
I work with Black Cat Rescue (http://www.blackcatrescue.com) in Boston, MA. I found this post while searching for information about black cat adoption.
Black Cat Rescue is a no-kill, all-volunteer network of foster homes dedicated to saving the lives of homeless black cats and kittens by providing them with quality foster care while actively seeking loving, permanent adoptive homes. We are currently seeking new foster homes in the Boston area and thought you might be able to help.
Black cats experience lower adoption rates, particularly within kill-shelter environments. For this reason, we’re dedicated to assisting individuals and other organizations with the care and adoption of black cats. Fostering has a significant impact on saving the lives of animals.
Hi, I found you while doing a search for cat litter box ideas. Love the post on using the tote to make a litter box. I have 5 cats. Last year we adopted a mother cat and her one surviving kitten (black) who were iving under our back porch. Unfortunately we did not get her fixed in time and she had another litter – 2 of which were black. Out of the new litter of 4 one was adopted by my cousin but we have the mother, her older kitten, and three of the younger kittens left. All now live indoors (the latest litter was born indoors) and will have homes with us for their lives. So we have two grey striped tabbys and three black cats and love them all along with our two dogs. I plan on checking out more of your posts for other good ideas. Thanks.
I had 3 all Black Cats but one passes a few years ago. We miss him every day. And I have one mostly black, he has white paws , bib, and whiskers. I’d have more if my husband wouldn’t shoot me for bring home more strays. Yes they were all homeless tiny kittens till they found me. I love black cats and dogs.