Why don't B&W's or Black Cats get adopted?

mtbee

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Aug 26, 2009
Messages
115
Purraise
1
Reading white cat lovers post about her black cats that are not being adopted and her tuxedos too...
makes me sad that no one adopts them~!

But why not? Is it a look thing?

Has anyone ever noticed that you never = or rarely see a homeless Tiger cat? Or white cat..

Besides my tiger my house consists of Black and Whites, the barn has B&W and Grey and White and a black one.

Just wondering why no one wants a nice little black kitty ....
 

-_aj_-

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 24, 2008
Messages
10,487
Purraise
61
Location
North East England
i dont really know, I know that people used to think of black cats as being evil and being witches cats

i was orginally only ever going to have one cat, my first one but i seen pictures off sooty and i knew he was to be mine, hes jet black and he is the sweetest most adorable loving cat you could clap eyes on so ive never doubted my decision.
 

dusty's mom

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Messages
2,176
Purraise
13
Location
California
My newest addition Squeak is solid black DSH. She's so black that it's hard to see her facial features, especially if her eyes are closed!

She is a delight! She is very playful, yet very cuddly too. We adore her! She is losing her baby teeth, and we found 2 of them.
 

white cat lover

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
22,206
Purraise
35
It's a horrifying thought that the most commonly euthanized dogs are big/black dogs. Doesn't matter the breed - they don't "show" as well as lighter colored dogs. Especially in over-crowded dimly lit pounds.

Black cats & tuxedo cats are often looked over for the "prettier" kitties - oranges, buffs, whites, calicos - everyone is superficial & wants something "unique". I've had people tell me "I don't want ugly" when I point out a black kitty that would be a purr-fect fit for their home. They are near impossible to photograph, making them have one more strike against them (adoptable pet listings such as petfinder draw people in toward a specific pet - if they have a bad photo/s who is going to come meet them?).
 

catmanmew

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
77
Purraise
0
Location
Michigan
We have 3 1/2 (1/2 = Big Black, our property Tom, has not decided yet if he is going to be a full time garage cat but I think he will when it gets colder...) black strays (2 kittens & the Mom) & one gray kitten that are now living in our garage...

when I called the shelter about gettin them fixed, there was a section on the TNR application that said if a inside home could be found, we would have to relinquish them which we definitely did NOT want to do...

So I called the shelter to let them know our feelings & when I told them they were black she said we had "no worries" except for the gray which really surprised me as I thought the old "black cats are bad luck" had long past...

We see it as an added plus, especially this time of year, as we now have rela life animated decorations for Holloween!
 

snuggy's mom

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
88
Purraise
1
Location
Tennessee
It is really sad. I work with a couple of dog rescue groups, and the black ones definitely take much longer to place than other varieties. I have a wonderfully sweet, smart and beautiful black Lab. She's a GREAT dog, but I'm still trying to find her a home and it's been six months.

I rescued my black kitty, Bella, from death row at a local shelter. She's great, full of 'tude, but I love her like crazy. I think she's beautiful. She has the nicest coat I've ever seen on a cat. She is hard to photograph though!
 

killerapple

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Aug 18, 2009
Messages
742
Purraise
1
Location
Ohio
I don't understand why people don't like black kitties, but I do know they're a pain in the butt to photograph well. For every good photo of Batman (our black kitten) we take, we get about 14 lousy ones. So I think sometimes people don't get photogenic pictures of the black cats on adoption websites. We have some very unflattering pictures of Batman where the flash blows out his fur and makes his face look weird - you just have to keep trying until you get some great pictures. (And natural sunlight makes for way better pictures!)

A good friend of mine was looking for a pet cat and she knew black ones didn't get adopted as easy, so she picked herself out a sweet black kitty from the SPCA when she went. I wish more people were like her.

When we found the kittens in our yard this summer, we ended up adopting the black one (Batman) because we figured he wouldn't be wanted by anyone anyways and we got so darn attached to him anyways, we didn't want to give him up if somebody did.


So I love the black kitties as much as the other kitties - they just take more patience to photograph well. He can look scary at times when he's in crazy play mode and you just see glowing eyes from the back of a room looking at you.
Bonus - black cat hair doesn't show up as much on your black clothes.

Our Batman, looking pretty:



An example of a not-so-hot picture (but it shows he's kinda stripey!):



With his brothers (who were adopted out together):

 

ldg

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 25, 2002
Messages
41,310
Purraise
842
Location
Fighting for ferals in NW NJ!
Hunh. So many of the TCS black cats ARE pretty! And our Ming Loy who is technically B&W (little teeney strip of white on her chest and a "v" on her abdomen) is so darling it's incredible! So what "prettier" cats?


....but yes - they are more difficult to photograph.
 

babz

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 9, 2001
Messages
197
Purraise
10
Location
Texas
I love black kitties!
Well, really all kitties!
My two manx cats have been black and have/had the greatest personalities! They were going to be destroyed because they weren't "show worthy"! Guess the color was also why they weren't wanted.
 

fifi1puss

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 2, 2007
Messages
2,150
Purraise
13
I wonder also if it is because there are so many black or b&w cats out there that people (even subconciously at times) overlook them at shelters because it can be difficult to distinguish "personality" from a sea of black cats?

I personally (as you can see from my babies pics) adore tuxedo cats. I don't know why. I gravitate towards them naturally.

My coworker was getting a cat after her Maine Coon passed. She and her husband wanted no black or b&w or white cats. I just couldn't understand why anyone would have a stipulation like that. I go completely on who I vibe with. There is a certain look in a cats eye I respond to. I could care less what color they are.
 

mistressotdark

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
Messages
2,003
Purraise
2
Location
Winnipeg, Manitoba
I think too many people think of black cats being evil still... I adopted 2 black cats from my local humane society and they were just thrilled to have me there because I asked for them. I have since picked up a 3rd cat (he's grey though and was a stray).
 

mai_kitties

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 27, 2006
Messages
255
Purraise
17
Location
Ohio
I have always heard it said that if you take a black cat into your home or if a black cat approaches you, it brings good luck. If the cat leaves your home or "crosses your path" which would be taken as walks away from you it take the good luck away from you.

So with that in mind everyone should own a black cat


My black boys have the best personalities. Lokk is the most sweetest and gentle thing. He is never imposing and pretty much will tolerate anything. Bear is such a character and sweet boy I just can't imagine life without him. Every black cat I've ever known has been a wonderful cat. Some people just can't see past the coat color.
 

addiebee

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 30, 2007
Messages
7,724
Purraise
17
Location
Michigan
I agree with Nat - White Cat Lover - that people don't think of black cats or black and white cats as "pretty". People usually want nice markings. Tortis are also hard to place. Their striped, swirled and spotted counterparts get homes first. And it's the black cat evil thing. I even had someone say I don't like black cats. They're scary!
 

jennyr

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
Messages
13,348
Purraise
593
Location
The Land of Cheese
People here still think of black cats as being unlucky. We have many of them in the shelter. One of my current fosters is black, and I am taking them to the Open Day at the shelter tomorrow to see potential families. But I am sure her tabby siblings will be adopted first. It is a shame, she is a really sweet kitten with a great personality.
 

nekochan

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Messages
2,760
Purraise
22
Location
Chicago, IL
I've always been drawn to black cats. I think they are beautiful and classic looking. My first cat Sylvia was a black cat and now I live with one black/white "tuxedo" Sneakers and one solid black Roxy. Roxy is one of the prettiest cats I've seen (not that I'm biased or anything
) and I think all black Maine Coons especially are gorgeous. We searched for over a year to find a good breeder who bred solid black Maine Coons. There are not that many because they don't do well in the show ring.
Roxy is special, she is solid black with gold eyes, polydactyl, and was born the day before Halloween.



This is a photo of Sylvia, my first cat:




Here is Roxy:

 

hissy

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 19, 2001
Messages
34,872
Purraise
76
Think about it for a few minutes, in fairy tales when you were a child, did you know of any black cats that were placed in a favorable light? The only one I remember wasn't in a fairy tale, but in Pinocchio Figaro was a tuxedo kitty and not evil at all. Most of the black cats were protrayed as evil and people now view them as superstitious. In the salem witch trials, all the black cats were rounded up and burned at the stake with the witches. Halloween posters always show black cats in full arched back, with fangs protrudiing and spitting and hissing not the best portrayal of these wonderful critters.

It is sad because out of all the strays, the black cats live the longest, they have the strongest immune systems of all the others and the best personalities. I have 9 currently here- that are black and black and white and there are no homes for them. They are wonderful, sociable loving kittens which I will probably have to keep because of their being no homes for them. It's plain stupid if you ask me-
 
Top