Why Adopt A Black Cat. Did you know that black cats have the lowest adoption rate and the highest euthanasia rate?
Black Dog Syndrome
Most experienced shelter workers will tell you that black dogs are often adopted less than any other coat color. Be it black Labrador Retrievers, Shepherds, Rottweilers, etc., they are often passed over by potential adopters. This discrepancy in adoptions is referred to as “Black Dog Syndrome.”
Given that domestic shorthair cats make up somewhere between 90% and 95% of cats in the United States, this is the type of cat you'll most likely adopt. Domestic shorthairs, like their longhair counterparts, are basically mixed-breed cats of unknown ancestry.
Pairs Make Happier Pet Owners
Because two cats tend to live happier and healthier, there's less chance of bad or destructive behavior, which means less damage to furniture and belongings, and happier pet owners. But the best reason of all to adopt a bonded pair: double the affection.
A single cat can still be happy, healthy, and well-adjusted. Just make sure to set aside quality time for human companionship, and keep his environment entertaining and interesting. Guest post by Kristen Levine Pet Living, the place for stories, science & advice for living happier and healthier with pets.
Taking home just one kitten may seem like a good idea—but a lonely kitten can be a real “cat-tastrophe” for felines and humans alike. Single Kitten Syndrome is the reason that, like many other organizations, we ask for kittens under 6 months to go home in pairs.
Black cats seem to be the most common coat color and sadly also the least desirable at adoption time. In fact, black cats are half as likely to find a home than a cat of another color. Why is this?
According to Dr. Emily Weiss, ASPCA Vice President, black cats are admitted to animal shelters and rescue facilities more than any other color.
Why are bunnies the third-most abandoned pet in the country?
In general, however, the best age to adopt a puppy is eight to ten weeks. This will give your puppy plenty of time to work through the developmental stages that take place while the puppy is still with its mother.
One in 22. There are as many as 22 recognized breeds that can have solid black coloring but the only all-black feline is the Bombay cat.
Anecdotal reports indicate various possible reasons for prejudice against black cats, termed the "black cat bias." It has been suggested that black animals may be more difficult to photograph, leading to less attractive listings. More recently, people speculate that adopters may be seeking more photogenic cats.
Cats can also become depressed if their living situation has changed. If they were used to living on the streets, they may not take easily to being locked up inside a home. Likewise, if they were re-homed, or adopted from a cat rescue, they may feel sad they've lost their old home.
Orange cats were regarded as the friendliest by respondents, while white cats were labeled aloof, and tortoiseshell cats were thought to have too much "attitude." The subject was revisited in a University of California Davis study a few years later. This time, results were tabulated from 1,274 completed surveys.
In some European folklore, black cats are considered common companions of witches and bringers of misfortune if they happened to cross your path. In contrast, Welsh folklore depicts black cats would bring luck to a home and could even be a reliable weather predictor (3).
Studies show that black cats are harder to adopt than cats of other colors.
Albino. We'll finish out our list of rare cat colors with the rarest of them all: albino. This is when there's no coloring at all, and it impacts not just a cat's fur, but also its eyes and skin.
Gray cats had the highest score for being as shy, aloof and intolerant, while orange cats had the highest scores for being trainable, friendly and calm. Tabbies the highest for bold and active, tricolor cats for stubborn, and bicolor cats for tolerant.
Researchers found that only 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non-blue eyes are born deaf. The percentage rises to 40 percent if the cat has one blue eye, while upwards of 65 to 85 percent of all-white cats with both eyes blue are deaf. Some of these cats are deaf in only one ear.
I hear people often say that they think it will be easier to start with one kitten and then, later on, adopt another. I can see the logic - getting two might seem like rushing into a bigger commitment but really, it's not much different. In fact - bringing in a second kitten later will likely be a much harder process.
If you have a young cat at home and want a second, consider adopting one kitten of the opposite sex, as same-sex cats are much more prone to fight each other for dominance. Your resident cat will still be young enough to recall having fun with her littermates, and the new kitten will be more than happy to oblige.
Kittens under 4 months old should not be left on their own for more than 4 hours at a time. If because of your lifestyle, your cat will need to get used to time alone, begin training your kitten by gradually increasing the amount of time you are out of the house.