Black Cats?

[CrazyCat]

My boyfriend and I have decided to get a cat in October. He is leaving on a trip for a few weeks and didn't want to get the cat before he left to come back and have it not remember him. So we are waiting until he gets back.

I am a cat person who before I moved out had only gone 3 whole days in my life of not owning a cat. So it now being almost 2 months has been a bit torturous for me! I've been looking at the Humane Society website weekly to see which cats get adopted and which have been there a long while. Our plan is to adopt a cat that has been there awhile or is less likely to be adopted.

One problem is that my boyfriend suffers from asthma and allergies. We don't agree with going to a breeder (for "hypo-allergenic" cats) because of the cost, but also because there are so many cats out there that need homes. His allergy is not that bad.... We've spent the week out at my family's cottage with "their" cat (still mine too!) and she has long dark fur and he's never appeared that he's had any worse allergies than he gets seasonally. (Although he has perhaps complained)

But I have two questions regarding black cats:

Doing some reading I read that dark cats produce more allergens than light coloured cats. Is this true or just a myth? I do understand that everyone is different too, but in general?

Are black cats REALLY less likely to be adopted at shelters? We thought originally we'd get an older black cat (if there was one) as I have heard black cats are less likely to be adopted. Watching the website, I haven't really noticed any black cats being left at the shelter longer than others. In fact there was one I had my eye on who was just recently adopted. So I'm not sure how true this is.

[catmandu]

I have read that Black Cats are not as likely to be adopted for some reason, I was at PetsMart one day and our SPCA had several Black Cats in various shapes andsizes and they were 25 dollars to adopt.
I woud have taken one, but they know that I have a lot of Cats , and will not adopt one to me.::love::love:
I do not think that Black Cats cause more allergies than lighter Cats , but you could ask your Vet.:D:D

[Karen]

Black cats are not more likely to produce more allergens than other colors, that's a myth. It's just that black shed hairs are more noticeable than lighter colors that blend in better, so that rumor came about! But it is the dander - not the hair - that causes allergic reaction! Some of the longer-haired cats give people with allergies less trouble, their dense undercoats mean they tend to leave less dander about.

And it varies from place to place but yes, statistically, black cats get adopted slower - in a cage setting they are harder to see and literally get overlooked, and some people have stereotypes about them lodged in their brains as well, so they can languish and become withdrawn, and then even less likely to be adopted - you get the picture!

[katladyd]

I have allergies to pet dandruff and I have 3 short-haired cats. I just live with the itchy eyes and scratchy throat. It helps quite a bit if I brush them often. Yes, even though I have cats with short hair, I find that long-haired cats bother my allergies much less than short-haired cats. Still, I wouldn't trade my three for anything!:love::love::love:

[Freedom]

Never heard that black cats are more or less allergy causing, lol.

Black cats -- and black dogs -- are much less likely to be adopted. It is very difficult to read their facial expressions is one reason; another, as already mentioned, is the idea here in the USA that they are bad luck. Funny thing, in UK, they are considered GOOD luck! Go figure, lol.

Many shelters will not adopt out a black cat at all during the month of October. Sadly, black cats are at high risk around Halloween, so to keep them safe, the shelters hold on to them.

If you want say, a Devon Rex, or another low allergen type, why not check if any are in a rescue? Use Google and put in
devon rex rescue
or which ever other breed you are thinking about.

[kitten645]

I have a thing for blackies after adopting my two 15 years ago. Hobbes has passed but Calvin is still with me. I'd always adopt black boys given another opportunity. They have the most personality of any of the 15 or so cats I've owned in my lifetime. Calvin is a little affectionate monkey that is my heart kitty for sure. He's a velcro cat and makes me laugh each and every day with his antics. The shelters I've worded at did not adopt out black cats in Oct. They tend to be adopted as seasonal ornaments or worse. :eek: I also know how difficult they are to photograph so sites like Petfinder have a hard time. I know when Calvin closes his eyes, the can virtually disappear. I think that happens in shelters also and they get over looked. Best of luck in finding your furbaby. :cool:

[CrazyCat]

I had also read cats with longer fur cause less allergies in some people, but my boyfriend has stated even with this fact he wants a short haired cat. Which is fine with me as most of the kitties on the adoption website are short-haired.

I had not heard of darker cats causing more allergies either, until yesterday. I don't remember the website, but it said that other than the Fel d 1 there are other sources of allergies and one was some substance found in grey and black fur. But as I research more and more, people say it makes no difference.

Kitten645 - Interesting about the shelters not adopting out the cats in October. About 7 or 8 years ago, when I still lived at home, we got our cat on a Friday the 13th special, where all black cats were $25. The one we got was a Tuxedo cat, but she still counted. So it'll be interesting if they have any out for adoption in October. We must get the cat in October though. I will go crazy if I have to wait another month.

What we may do is visit the shelter a couple of times with a particular cat in mind, and I'll get my boyfriend to nuzzle and hug and kiss the kitty, and we'll see how bad his reaction is.

I don't understand why black animals are not appealing to people. Their coats are so shiney and gorgeous!

[Taz_Zoee]

I volunteer at a shelter and I have not noticed the black dogs and cats being overlooked. We have had a couple litters of blackies this summer and I think only one is left.

Taking the boyfriend to meet the kitty and see how he reacts is a good idea. I lived with a girl that was not allergic to my kitty I had at the time, but she was allergic to her sisters cats. Taz (my kitty) used to sleep on her bed right above her head and she was fine. My boyfriends brother is allergic but wasn't as reactive to Taz either. So I always called Taz my hypo-allergenic kitty. :)

I hope we will be seeing pictures of a cute black kitty in a month or so. :D

[moosmom]

In my rescue experience, MOST shelters won't adopt black cats out the month of October due to certain undesireables using them for satanic rituals on Halloween. Not sure about cats in your area.

Karen's right. Black cats don't produce more allergens than any other cat. It's actually the cat's saliva that dries and becomes airborne that most people are allergic to.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

In my rescue experience, MOST shelters won't adopt black cats out the month of October due to certain undesireables using them for satanic rituals on Halloween. Not sure about cats in your area.



That is certainly true around here. In fact, when I was younger, everyone was advised to keep all their cats but specially the black ones, inside around Halloween. There was a cult in the area that was takeing them and torturing them and killing them. What IS the matter with some people??? sheesh!!!!!!!

[Catty1]

Ask at a good pet store about wet wipes for cats. These are designed to keep the dander down that cats give off, which is what causes allergies in people.

A friend of mine had her grown daughter living with her for a while, and the daughter had two cats. My friend is very allergic - they tried the wipes and the result was fantastic!

ETA: My cousin has always loved cats, but her allergy sent her to the hospital when she was a little girl. When she got married later on, her husband had one cat. She decided to stick it out and over time - several years - her allergies diminished!