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

[goldenkitty45]

I'm guessing its due to the fact there are tons of those colors around, so if the cat is a different color or pattern then its more likely to be chosen first.

When adopting cats, I tend to choose those I feel have the best chance in the show ring (if they don't like showing, they just become homebody pets like Ling is). Ling is black & white. I've had a few black/white cats but none that were all black - tho I'd love to own a show quality all black Oriental SH one day!

I like to see a "flashy" patterned black & white rather then the more ordinary ones marked like you call "tuxedo". I really do not like using that term to describe the black & white bicolor

 

[luv2laugh]

I never knew this about B&W or Black kitties, ever. I guess my family was just an exception.

We had a black kitty growing up, who we adored, what was her name? Blackie.

She was an indoor/outdoor kitty except for around Halloween time. We kept her in the week before hand. One year we woke up to find the head of a black kitty in our front yard. It was horrible. We thought it was our baby at first, but she was safe inside. It was someone else's baby.


When it was time to get a cat as an adult, my husband requested a B&W tuxedo, he didn't want anything else.

Look at this Cutie!!

**sorry got a little carried away.

 

[kittyl0ve4]

I really don't understand why people would pass up a black cat or B & W cat.. I think all cats are beautiful, and there is no such thing as a cat being bad luck.

Many cats I have love throughout my life have been black. My dad's mom had a black cat named Leo. He was indoor/outdoor and always had scars and missing bits of his ears from fighting. I always begged my grandmother to make him stay inside, and she always said she couldn't.

Leo still lived a long, long life, and lived to be about 23-24. Another black cat in my life was my moms mothers cat Korrina.. He was also indoor/outdoor. My mom-mom tried to keep him inside but it was impossible. I always remembered he wouldn't drink unless it was from the faucet.. I don't know how old Korrina was, but he did live a long time. He passed the Bridge too soon though. My poppop thinks a coyote got him

And then there were these 2 black kittens my stepmother got while I was living with them. They were sisters, Scar (named from a large scar she had on her back) and Jitters (she was skittish). Scar LOVED to sleep with me all the time, and Jitters prefered my sisters. I don't know how they are now, I had moved back in with my mom and my stepmom wound up getting rid of them. But all of these wonderful BLACK cats had amazing personalities and were very, very loving.

I didn't choose either of my cats for their colors. Monster was an orphan and I got Mittens from my boss. I would never pass up a perfectly good black cat for one that is "prettier". I love how black cats have such shiny fur

And I really, really want a black DLH.

 

[mtbee]

Livetolaugh ... you kitty has such a darling little nose with them black dots

 

[proudmamiof4]

I just wanted to share that two of my Tuxedo rescues are going to a fur-ever home today

They were adopted together by a sweet elderly woman who just lost her Siamese cat to cancer (He was 18) Here are Barney and Fred soon to be Upton and Boez

They are both such sweet cat! Love belly rubs and being held

 

[kittyl0ve4]

Originally Posted by proudmamiof4

I just wanted to share that two of my Tuxedo rescues are going to a fur-ever home today

They were adopted together by a sweet elderly woman who just lost her Siamese cat to cancer (He was 18) Here are Barney and Fred soon to be Upton and Boez

They are both such sweet cat! Love belly rubs and being held

GORGEOUS cats! I

that second picture, its great!

 

[oodlesofpoodles]

I love black cats and black and white cats. Ive always wanted a pure black cat, but right now i dont have the room. I do have my black and white cat though

 

[mrblanche]

Well, we have five right now at the shelter, so if you change your mind...

 

[kro]

I noticed this too- I used to work with someone that volunteered at Animal Services in my hometown and she said that, often, the black cats were the ones that were chosen to be put down before they even reached the front

I've always wanted a tuxedo cat, though! Too much "Cats" at a young age...my dream cat is a tuxedo cat named Mistofelees

 

[cinder]

Solid black cats are my preference, and I'm also partial to orange tabbies and brown/black tabbies. I can tell you this though, there can be too much of a good thing. Of my herd, 6 are solid black and 8 are tuxedo. To make it worse, all but 5 of them I believe to be siblings, so same head/body shape. This makes it very difficult to place blame, since cats tend to run away from the scene of a crime rather than toward you. One black behind disappearing around the corner looks pretty much like the next.

One of the neighbor's females I trapped was siamese in appearance with a white nose, bib and feet. Her size, shape of face and the markings cause me to believe that she is the mother of many, if not all, all of these kittens. The tom was solid black. I, of course, can tell them apart, but even DH has to ask..."Which one if this?"

 

[baloneysmom]

It may be a superficial thing like some folks here are saying. I know I have never, ever, in my entire life wanted a tuxedo cat… I now have two LOL. I never minded all black cats since I find them beautiful like little panthers, but tuxies…. I always found then not as cute as the rest.

My preference has always been grey tabbyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s, orange cats, beige, black. The only two color cats I never wanted and actually vowed against getting are white (I find they have mental problems LOL any other folks owned by white cats can agree?) and tuxedos… Somehow I ended up with one mentally challenged white cat Lol and 2 beautiful tuxedos. This proving to me, that kitties pick their owners.

Now that I have my little Tuxedo cats I find I am drawn to them more so then any other color.

 

[proudmamiof4]

Originally Posted by BaloneysMom

It may be a superficial thing like some folks here are saying. I know I have never, ever, in my entire life wanted a tuxedo cat… I now have two LOL. I never minded all black cats since I find them beautiful like little panthers, but tuxies…. I always found then not as cute as the rest.

My preference has always been grey tabbyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s, orange cats, beige, black. The only two color cats I never wanted and actually vowed against getting are white (I find they have mental problems LOL any other folks owned by white cats can agree?) and tuxedos… Somehow I ended up with one mentally challenged white cat Lol and 2 beautiful tuxedos. This proving to me, that kitties pick their owners.

Now that I have my little Tuxedo cats I find I am drawn to them more so then any other color.

lol funny you should mention white cat with mental issues, Sweetness is a sweet cat but for sure has a few loose marvels!! She will hold someone lap hostage with growls and hissing all while purring.... Don't ever try to kick her off your lap!!! Lol

 

[cruisermaiden]

I have heard this before also and have done my best to sell people on the black kitties any time I get the chance! We have two solid black DSH in the house now and everyone agrees they are the very best cats anyone could ask for. One of them is my Spooky Joe and the other one is my dad's cat Onyx. Dad theorizes that somehow black cats know they have to work a little harder and be extra friendly to get picked out over the 'prettier' cats. I agree with his theory, but I don't see why anyone wouldn't think this cat is beautiful (or handsome, since he's a boy)



My first cat was a B&W - RIP Libbi Lou!

 

[white cat lover]

Originally Posted by proudmamiof4

lol funny you should mention white cat with mental issues, Sweetness is a sweet cat but for sure has a few loose marvels!! She will hold someone lap hostage with growls and hissing all while purring.... Don't ever try to kick her off your lap!!! Lol

IMO - you often find temperament issues in white cats due to deafness. My two deaf girls get 'quick' with me if I startle them.

That said - of 40 adoptable cats on petfinder, we have 7 black & 5 tuxedos. Most of them are 5 months old & we've had since 6 - 8 weeks....two of them are the last of 8 kittens, their entire litter was "cuter" than they were & got adopted - but they didn't. That does not include the litter of 3 black kittens in foster care, the other litter in foster care of 2 tuxedos, yet another fostered litter of 6 black kittens, & then there are 4 black & white bi-colors.

 

[mschauer]

I want a solid black cat with gold eyes *soo* badly!

I know a lot of people who say they love the look of a black cat but none of their cats is black. I wonder if it is just that a cat with some kind of pattern just kinda "jumps out" out you and so gets chosen over a black one? I think that's the only reason none of my current crew is black.

 

[whiteforest]

Originally Posted by mschauer

I know a lot of people who say they love the look of a black cat but none of their cats is black. I wonder if it is just that a cat with some kind of pattern just kinda "jumps out" out you and so gets chosen over a black one? I think that's the only reason none of my current crew is black.

I would totally agree with that statement. When we went to pick out a new kitten (2 years ago) we walked into the room at the shelter and there was one litter. 7-8 solid black kittens and 1 long haired tabby. Immediately DH wanted the tabby, but Gus just demanded he come home with us. The whole lot of kittens were asleep except Gus. He was grabbing at us through the cage and nibbling on our fingers. So, solid black kitty came home.

 

[mschauer]

Originally Posted by whiteforest

Originally Posted by mschauer

I want a solid black cat with gold eyes *soo* badly!

I know a lot of people who say they love the look of a black cat but none of their cats is black. I wonder if it is just that a cat with some kind of pattern just kinda "jumps out" out you and so gets chosen over a black one? I think that's the only reason none of my current crew is black.

I would totally agree with that statement. When we went to pick out a new kitten (2 years ago) we walked into the room at the shelter and there was one litter. 7-8 solid black kittens and 1 long haired tabby. Immediately DH wanted the tabby, but Gus just demanded he come home with us. The whole lot of kittens were asleep except Gus. He was grabbing at us through the cage and nibbling on our fingers. So, solid black kitty came home.

After scanning the earlier posts it seems others think the same thing. I wonder if there is something shelters can do to make sure black cats aren't so easily overlooked? They're beautiful animals. If people would just stop and look at them they would realize it.

 

[white cat lover]

Originally Posted by mschauer

After scanning the earlier posts it seems others think the same thing. I wonder if there is something shelters can do to make sure black cats aren't so easily overlooked? They're beautiful animals. If people would just stop and look at them they would realize it.

We put darker cats in higher cages with better lighting, and use lighter colored bedding in their cages to make them stand out more. The darker cats - black, black/white, & torties - I often show people more of & before I show them any lighter ones.

So some shelters do things when they can to encourage adopting a darker colored kitty.

 

[mschauer]

Originally Posted by white cat lover

We put darker cats in higher cages with better lighting, and use lighter colored bedding in their cages to make them stand out more. The darker cats - black, black/white, & torties - I often show people more of & before I show them any lighter ones.

So some shelters do things when they can to encourage adopting a darker colored kitty.

Someone in these forums (I think?) posted that a shelter someplace had a special promotion for their black cats. They promoted them as "Panther cats". I think there was some kind of tie in with a local sports team?? They adopted out quite a few black cats as I recall.

 

[white cat lover]

Originally Posted by mschauer

Someone in these forums (I think?) posted that a shelter someplace had a special promotion for their black cats. They promoted them as "Panther cats". I think there was some kind of tie in with a local sports team?? They adopted out quite a few black cats as I recall.

Hmmm....that is something to consider. See if we cannot promote black cats as a whole "lump group" based on color.