Black cats have their own unique charm
As a cat coordinator with The Buddy Foundation, I get to promote Buddy’s felines to potential adopters, which is no easy task because all who routinely work in the building have their favorites, myself included.
As I show our cats to visitors, a few common negative comments have been made and, after all these years with Buddy, I have to say that I surprise myself about my reaction to theses comments.
When I hear some of these statements, I cannot help but feel miserable for our black felines. The comments range from:
“I want to adopt a cat that needs me, but anything but black, I want a cat of color.” Or, “why does Buddy have so many black cats?”
The main answer in reality is stupid superstitions and selfishness. If you want a cat that really needs you, you should be looking at the black cats, cats of age, or cats with medical issues.
The comment that really unnerves me is “All black cats look alike, how can you tell them apart?”
I am going to put a stop to that erroneous platitude right now.
Black felines are magical, sleek-like panthers or puffy balls of fluff. They are anything but “bad luck.” It’s time for people who profess to be cat lovers to come out of the Dark Ages and find black cats to be what they are: elegant, exotic, entertaining and, for some, vocal pals.
The eyes have it in black felines. Eye color contrast to their black bodies is striking. Eye color can range from orange, copper, gold, aquamarine or blue/violet. Eye color can be so unusual because most black cats are a hybrid of American shorthairs, British shorthairs, Burmese, Bombay or even some Siamese, hence the vocalization.
Body style can range from sleek to cobbey (muscular built). The body usually dictates the shape of the head. A sleek, panther-like body usually has a more angled head associated with oriental felines. A muscular, bulky body is more apt to have a rounder head and face.
Our ebony-coated cat is also likely to be a more interactive feline. Black cats seem to sense instinctually that they have to charm a person to get a home. They also tend to be very interactive cats with their owners.
Black felines tend to be entertaining housemates and loyal cuddlers. Who needs an electric blanket when you can have a black cat sitting on top of your head when you are at rest?
Not surprisingly, all of today’s adoptables are black or mostly black. Our black diamonds only have until Sept. 30 to find their forever home. The Buddy Foundation will responsibly ban all black cat adoptions from that time until after Halloween.
AdoptablesZack is a black, longhair tuxedo cat that is about 2 years old. Zack was left behind at an animal hospital. His owners left false information with the hospital and never looked back. Zack loves attention, brushing, and people. He loves to show us that he can jump on the highest resting spot of the cat furniture in his room. Zack can get along with other felines if they let him be #147;top cat.#148;Gino and Antonio, two ebony-coated Maine coons, are just about twins at 4 years of age. They probably are twins. Gino is over 2 pounds larger than Antonio; that is how we tell them apart. Both are people-loving and they love each other. As soon as someone walks into their room, they greet and ask for attention, then Antonio greets Gino with a head butt and rub to make sure he is all right. We are committed that these two be adopted as a pair since they are so devoted to each other.Freddie UpdateThe Buddy Foundation is happy to report that Freddie has passed all his pre-surgical testing. Buddy puts its animals through pre-surgical testing to ensure the operation is safe for the animal (just like doctors do for people).Freddie has his first lensectomy on Sept. 5, and is now waiting for scheduling of an appointment for his other eye.Thank you for all your generous donations (we are on our way to our total), prayers and good wishes. We will keep you informed of Freddie#146;s progress.The Buddy WalkJoin us for a 1-mile walk at Twin Lakes in Palatine at 9 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 9. The donation is $25 in advance and $30 the day of. Donation for children 12 and younger is $15. Each walker is encouraged to get 10 sponsors. If you cannot walk, show up and sponsor someone or sponsor in advance. Forms are available at the shelter or online.AdoptathonWatch for extended adoption hours Friday, Sept. 14; Saturday, Sept. 15; and Sunday Sept. 16. Treats and surprises are included. Watch our web page for more details.Ÿ Contact The Buddy Foundation at (847) 290-5806; visit us at 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights; or online at thebuddyfoundation.org. 12011010GinoCourtesy of The Buddy Foundation 24333649ZackCourtesy of The Buddy Foundation