Black Cat Appreciation Day

According to Facebook, today is Black Cat Appreciation Day. Since I currently have two black cats living with me at the moment, one about two years old and the other a mere 11 weeks or so, I am happy to recognize this day.

I didn't know until I began fostering cats and kittens with my beloved Katrina and her five little darlings as my first assignment (back in February of 2011) with Abbey Cats that black cats are often the last to be adopted and are often tormented and/or tortured because of their colour, especially around Hallowe'en.  Sadly, an age old superstition is sometimes all it takes for some people to justify the mistreatment of another living being, no matter how small and defenseless.

When Katrina (who is not completely black, she has a white patch on her belly that looks like a bikini bottom) first came to live with me, she spent 3 weeks holed up in my closet and another 3 weeks staying mostly under my bed before she learned to trust me and to feel safe in my home.  I have often wondered what happened to her before she ended up in the animal shelter, what might have happened to her when she was a stray, that would make her such a frightened girl.  She is still skittish around strangers but shows herself now much more readily, even though she won't actually approach anyone else but me.  It took several visits before my cat sitter even saw her!  However, with me, she is friendly, affectionate, trusting, loving, playful and a total delight to have around and I have never regretted adopting her.  It makes no difference to me what colour she is, she just happens to be a sleek black beauty.

One of the kittens that I am currently fostering is all black.  Her name is Belle Matisse and she is the cutest little thing.  She was the first one to make an escape out of the guest room when the kittens and their mom are staying and she scampers about like there is no tomorrow, exploring every nook and cranny, chasing toys and the other kittens.  But she likes to snuggle too and starts purring right away when you pick her up.  She is a real sweetie and I am hoping she will find a special forever home with someone to love her who won't care what colour fur she has.  We all deserve that kind of acceptance.

Matisse is either go, go, go or having a nap,
there is no in-between for this girl!