Black Cats Only

[newmamaof3]

I have never heard my black cat purr until this morning. This is where I found her and she was very content! (She moved when I came in the room but she had been asleep). So sweet.

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• newmamaof3
• Sep 11, 2015

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• newmamaof3
• Sep 11, 2015

So she can purr after all. I just told someone the other day "my black cat doesn't purr and she sleeps alone". Thanks for making a liar out of me, Layla! I finally figured out who Layla's human is. This explains why she lets my child cart her all over the house.

 

[segelkatt]

 
I find your opinion interesting...

I have always had a "house cat", but before I sold the farm, I also had myriad barn cats (anywhere between 5 and 15 at any given time). Knowing that I was going to eventually sell, I gradually let the barn cats dwindle down (all my girls were spayed and the boys neutered).  It finally got down to just Smokie, a small DSH. She was a bit evasive as a young cat, but over time she became friendly and affectionate and over the last two years of her life she would come into the house on occasion - especially on cold rainy or snowy days/nights. She was getting up in age (about 16) and she enjoyed coming indoors, even though my "house cat" (also a spayed female of approx. same age) didn't care much for the idea at first. 

They stayed separated on their own terms with intermittent hissing and spitting when their paths did cross; they never physically fought. 

Georgie, the "house cat" always slept in the bed with me. But on one extremely cold night Smokie was brought in and decided she was going to make use of the warm blankets on the bed. After a bit of snarling, Smokie won out and Georgie moved to a chair next to the bed (where I had a quilt folded). That became her new sleeping quarters and Smokie took up permanent residence on the bed. After a few months, she became a regular house cat and totally loved it! She sometimes would venture outside with me while I did gardening, but always trotted behind me when I headed for the house.

I have to admit, over the years, I did bring most of the barn cats (from the most gentle to the wild and crazy - which were lured in with warm food) into the house overnight when temps got too severely cold. They all came into my office where they had food, water, blankets, and several litter boxes. 

Some would eagerly go out in the morning and there were a few who lingered around until the afternoon. They all would be sitting at the back door by evening waiting to get back in for the night.

Cats are extremely adaptable and I never had a problem with bringing ANY of my wild, feral, stray barn cats indoors - short-term OR long-term. And not one of them had issues during or after coming inside. Their space and individual personalities were respected and we all got along quite well ... and I knew they were safe from weather and predators. Sure, I could have left them to fend for themselves in hopes of them finding a warm nest up in the hayloft, but racoons and possums were also looking for warm spots to spend the night. 

So, yes, cats born and raised as outdoor cats CAN be brought in as "house cats" regardless of their age. Love, patience, tolerance, and an inviting environment is all it takes.

Your cats were not "feral", they were simply domesticated cats who lived mostly outside. Feral means "no human contact" or only very minimal and those cats will not seek human contact like your cats did.

 

[betsygee]

Does Zoe's fur change colors like Carpet's does? Sometimes Carpet is all brown with a black head and sometimes she appears to be all black, really strange. And is her fur as long as Carpet's? Your Zoe is a looker but my heart belongs to Carpet.

Zoe's fur does change colors though not to the extent that Carpet's does.  Here's one of her a couple of days ago-- the brown really shows some days; other days she looks completely black.  (Pay no attention to the lovely gift she brought to the door for me.)   

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• betsygee
• Sep 11, 2015

 

[kntrygrl256]

I went outside to find a mole on the porch yesterday morning that one of mine brought me and left at the door. LOL

 

[fyllis]

Segelkatt,

My barn cats were not 'domesticated'. They were feral - born outside, in the wild and that is where and how they lived for many generations. They weren't in contact with humans physically, and when they saw humans, they ran for cover and hid. The barn was 200 feet from the house and year after year more strays and feral cats would come and go. 

It wasn't until the later years, when I knew I would be selling the property to a developer and the barn would be torn down, that I began to domesticate them. And it was a long process in doing that. But, most did become domesticated, or at least semi-domesticated (they never permitted any physical contact) over time and would come inside the house during inclement weather with much encouragement.  

They were not necessarily seeking 'human contact', they were seeking food and shelter. Once they were in the office and eating, I would go out a side door and walk around and close the door to the office so they were in for the night. The back door was propped open and a trail of food was left that led into my office. Not all of them came in the first year... some never even came up near the house. But those that did were allowed in and were given their space. 

And Smokie, the last of them who was always a wild barn cat, adapted to living indoors very well. Maybe she was the easiest to fully domesticate because she was the only one left and her 'cat family' was gone. She was also old and had been coming in for food the last couple years of her life.

The point is, feral/wild/undomesticated cats CAN be (and have been with success) domesticated and live very well as indoor cats. 

 

[fyllis]

Keeker is solid black - well, not really. He has a very small patch of silver/grey hair on his lower abdomen near his 'bikini line', but is otherwise all black.

There was a period of time through the summer that I could detect some brown showing up on him, and I account that as being sun-bleached from being on the window sill during the day. He loves basking in the sun!

I don't show him, so the occassional slight imperfection in his hair color doesn't concern me. But, I have to say, I love when he presents his deep blue/black coloring and look forward to him reverting back this winter when the weather cools down and the sun isn't as bright.

Just so you know, horses have the same affliction, and for the same reasons. People who show their horses go through hell trying to keep the shiny black coats on them! 

 

[segelkatt]

@betsygee and @kntrygl256 - you know of course that your cats are just making sure that you have enough to eat as you don't go out hunting like they do and going to the grocery store does not count as "hunting"? These are not "gifts", they are a necessity to make sure that you will be around to provide the rest of the creature comforts. heh heh.

My cats are not that selfless, anything they catch on the patio (lizards, flies, birds!!, they even think they can catch squirrels that come up on the side of the buildings to the second floor where we live) they promptly devour themselves, they do not share, the egotistical brood! Once they left the head of a bird and a few feathers on the living room rug, they ate the goody part themselves! Didn't even leave any bones. At least I didn't have much to clean up.. 

 

[segelkatt]

 
Keeker is solid black - well, not really. He has a very small patch of silver/grey hair on his lower abdomen near his 'bikini line', but is otherwise all black.

There was a period of time through the summer that I could detect some brown showing up on him, and I account that as being sun-bleached from being on the window sill during the day. He loves basking in the sun!

I don't show him, so the occassional slight imperfection in his hair color doesn't concern me. But, I have to say, I love when he presents his deep blue/black coloring and look forward to him reverting back this winter when the weather cools down and the sun isn't as bright.

Just so you know, horses have the same affliction, and for the same reasons. People who show their horses go through hell trying to keep the shiny black coats on them! 

My all-black Panthera lies around in the sun  every chance he gets and he never turns brown which I really expected. The black foster Patrick is brown and grey underneath but he does not hang out in the sun at all so he does not turn brown on the rest of his fur either. 

 

[fyllis]

 

[kittyluv387]

My Benny!  He's confident, playful, feisty, stubborn, and cuddly!

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• kittyluv387
• Sep 11, 2015

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• kittyluv387
• Sep 11, 2015

 

[Norachan]

Oh, clever boys!

 

[segelkatt]

Heh heh,as you said, they are inventive and have the right idea: after all a mouse is a mouse, right? At least they brought it to you or you would be hunting for that mouse yourself.  I know a few cats (not mine) who bite plastic, string, shoelaces and even electric wires, anything that resembles mouse tails. A friend of mine cannot keep fishing pole toys because her cat bites the string, now she has one that has wire instead and he has not been able to bite that to pieces although he's trying.

 

[czygyny]

Here is BK, (for BiKini) he looks black but indeed he is a poorly marked tuxedo...only sporting a white 'bikini'. He is a solidly built cat with never an ounce of fat on him. He loves the ladies but still spats with my other cats and sprays indoors so he is an outdoor only boy. His eyes are green, sometimes aqua, and very liquid and attractive.

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• czygyny
• Sep 12, 2015

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• czygyny
• Sep 12, 2015

 

[jcat]

Mod note: As this is a photo thread for black cats, discussions of indoor vs.outdoor have no place in it. Several posts have therefore been moved here:http://www.thecatsite.com/t/297977/i-dont-understand-how-some-people-can-let-their-cats-outside

Please try to keep your posts on topic. Thank you.

 

[kntrygrl256]

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• czygyny
• Sep 12, 2015

He is beautiful. The top picture would be beautiful blown up and framed. I love his eyes.

 

[czygyny]

 
He is beautiful. The top picture would be beautiful blown up and framed. I love his eyes.

Thanks! He is difficult to photograph and back-lit images don't often work, but the composition was great and everything came together.

My cats love climbing my many fruit and shade trees. One of the first things I train them to do is climb.

 

[fyllis]

He is absolutely stunning! Thanks for sharing!

 

[lallorona]

Mind if I join in the black cat club?

This is my 3 and a half year old spoiled baby girl. I've had her since she was around 3 weeks old. She was found along with her twin brother (who sadly passed away a week later after finding him). My friend was the one who found them, it was a rainy and cold day and he couldn't leave them out to freeze. He was going to turn them in to animal control but I told him to let me have them instead, at the moment I was clueless that they needed to be bottle fed. Once he dropped them off I went out to buy bottles and kitten formula. Her twin brother, who I named Nevan got really sick, we took him to the vet but sadly there was nothing that could've been done and he passed away in my arms. I was just left with this cutie and she grew to be spoiled with cuddles and kisses. She has quite the personality though!

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• lallorona
• Sep 14, 2015

 

[segelkatt]

Oh my, she's as black as black can be - gorgeous!

 

[kntrygrl256]

@lallorona  she is gorgeous!!! Welcome to the group.