Marketing Black Kitties

It's a well known fact that black cats and kittens are often overlooked in rescue homes and shelters. People generally gravitate towards the more colorful kittens even though black is the primary color of all colors.

After being asked for the umpty dozenth time "If I had kittens of color." I wanted to scream; "I am NOT a wallpaper store." So kittens were leaving my home going into loving, forever homes but they were "colorful" and not black. We had 16 black kitties, my husband and I started calling the Black Plague Kitties (out of love and respect). The reason, during feeding time, they would all converge all at once and the floor would look like a moving carpet of black ink spots.

So I started thinking about how to make them more "colorful" Several ideas came into my head, but were dismissed because well, I just don't paint cats. Then one afternoon, I was in the pet aisle at Walmart and they were clearing out their doggy clothes XS. I saw these bright, vibrant dog clothes and decided this might just be the answer. I bought several outfits and headed home.

Dressing stray cats in dog clothes ain't easy. They don't want to hold still but food turned out to be a big motivator. I used special treats to get them to accept their clothes, and then when they would eat out of their bowls without fighting the clothes- I knew they were ready for their photo op.

I put the ads up- and oh my heavens- these kittens just flew out the window! In three weeks, I adopted out 16 black kitties. Several families took more than one black kitten and one lady later confided to me, she would have never even considered adopting a black kitten.  I was quick to tell the new families that clothes on cats is never a good idea, and this was a marketing trick.

I have followed up on all the adoptions and the kittens and families are doing just great. I am passing on this tip in the hopes that others might try this idea and have equal success with it-  I also have another black kitten coming here on Saturday and a family who wanted a black kitten before (But I ran out!) waiting in line to adopt her!

Good luck to all who try this marketing strategy- it really works!

But I am glad your idea worked for you. You should post some of the pics you took. They sound adorable.

Maybe colorful colors might work too? I think good photos in general is something important, and not everybody is good at taking photos of black cats. So maybe that is a reason why they are harder to adopt (at least online from photos)?

I just don't understand why people wouldn't want a black cat in general though....

I always thought they were really striking looking.

The only cat pattern / color I don't gravitate toward personally is the standard brown tabby coat, because it looks a bit common ( but then again, there are beautiful example of that coat too). Personally my favorite colors in cats are solids (solid blue, solid black, solid white) and also torties. But I'd also never adopt purely off of what the coat color is too because you'd miss out on some great personality cats if you only went by their looks.

When my Harley died this past November (he was a cream and white tabby) my husband and I started looking to adopt a kitten. And we both started gravitating toward this black one we saw online at a rescue site. When we inquired about him it turned out he was adopted already but the woman had another black kitten that she had rescued that day and told us she'd send us photos later. She send photos (and continued to send photos for a couple of weeks, along with updates on him). So we had to adopt that black kitten and I think he's the cutest thing ever. I didn't find out til recently that black cats have the lowest adoption rate. I thought it was so odd. I couldn't imagine not wanting to adopt a cat purely based off the fact his coat is black.

Here's my black kitten, Magnus, 9 months old now,.(though he's seven months old is this photo).

As you can see he has funny personality.

That's really a great idea! And what a wonderful outcome.

I'll pass this on to the shelter where I volunteer. We are sure to get at least 20 black kittens this kitten season.

Thanks!

Robin

What a fantastic solution!  That should be part of an article or presentation on adoption issues

I loved my black panther as I called my solid black Curl, Tyler

I just happen to have a copy of one of the pictures Hissy took of her black kitten "all dressed up".  Isn't she adorable ?  (Thanks, Mary Anne, for writing this up, and for thinking of the idea in the first place!!)

Oh MA, that is BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think black cats sitting in a friendly looking carved pumpkin is cute. I wish people would stop thinking black cats are witches in todays day in age everything seems to be acceptable when it never used to be, let the black cat myth go already people....

That is a good idea with the sweaters. I bought a pair of cute little wings and just got Lavender to wear them for me, I am working on getting her to sit cute with them so I can get a good picture for an add. Granted pink wings don't exactly work on a male. I need to go pick up some sweaters to try too.

kinda blurry but this is what I have so far

Very cute!