Today – August 17th – is Black Cat Appreciation Day, so I dedicate this post to the sweet memory of my best-beloved, Oliver Twist (1996-2013) who was also known amongst his friends and admirers as Oliver T, Oliver Man, The O-Man and Oliver the Black.
Black Cat Appreciation Day was established to put the spotlight on black cats in animal shelters, because due to centuries-old superstitions and other such nonsense, these beautiful felines are often overlooked by adopters. In fact, black cats are only adopted about half as often as cats of other colors, and are therefore also at higher risk of being euthanized at animal shelters. But black cats are simply the best!!
Did you know that black is one of the two dominant colors in the cat genome? (The other dominant or “basic” color is red, for you ginger lovers.) The color of all cats relates to these two colors in some way, either by changing the color or covering it up. The diluted version of black is called blue (which really is a very pretty grey.) Two black cats can produce both black kittens and blue kittens, but a mating of two blue cats will result in an all blue litter of kittens. Fascinating, right??
Is there a link between coat color and purrsonality? Many people seem to think so, but science simply doesn’t support these assumptions. A researcher from the University of California-Berkeley conducted a study published in October 2012 which found that people characterized black cats, white cats and tri-colored cats as more antisocial than other cats; black cats were also typecast as having less “extreme” character traits, which might contribute to their mysterious reputation … but it seems to me like that should also contribute to the impression that a black cat is easygoing, good-natured, and in fact, a purrfect addition to any family!
In my own experience, black cats are wonderful pets. Oliver the Black was my lovin’ little man, both a mischievous delight as a kitten and a sweet soulmate throughout our life together. He was my guardian, my personal assistant, my alarm clock, my breakfast companion (and my mother’s dinner companion,) a champion ball catcher, lover of catnip and birdwatching, destroyer of shoes (a ritual greeting that I would not have put a stop to for the world,) and he had simply the best purr in the world. Ever. Oliver was my “forever” cat. He filled my life with joy and love, and I miss him every single day. My heartfelt wish is that everyone in search of a feline friend today will consider adopting a black cat, and spread the word so that others will do so too. All cats are wonderful, of course, but black cats are truly extra special!
Whiskers on Kittens 