This has been a week of opinions and soapboxes, and if you'll bear with me I have one more. Every year at this time, cat rescues put a *hold* on every black cat adoption because of Halloween.
I get it. I understand why you wouldn't want some teeny-bopper to adopt a black cat or kitten because it looks great at Halloween. This is the same reason why I was appalled with a shelter employee took home a shelter bunny for the day at Easter to give their kids a thrill - THEN she brought the poor bunny back to the shelter!!!
I don't see a well-qualified pre-screened adopter falling in love with a black kitten around October 15th, paying $175.00 for it, only to abandoned it on November 1st - OR spend the $175.00 for some satanic ritual.
To me, I think this whole "No Black Cat Adoptions" in October is way overblown. If somebody is offering a FREE black kitten at Halloween on Craigslist - that's a whole 'nother story, and I wouldn't condone it. But if rescue volunteers are properly screening adopters - and maybe even taking some extra precautions - I don't see why black cats can't be adopted in October.
If a qualified, loving adopter wants to adopt one of our black cats, I'll probably get a veterinary reference just to put the foster Moms mind at ease. But I think I'm going to do it, unless somebody can give me a reason that this is a dreadful idea.
I went YEARS thinking that kittens needed to be adopted in pairs or with a feline friend in the home. I thought this while kittens were DYING in the shelter for lack of having a home. I was brainwashed to believe that a kitten growing up without a cat friend would have a miserable life - hogwash!
So now I'm questioning this standard practice among rescues, and want to know: (assuming ALL precautions have been taken to adopt the cat into a proper, loving Forever Home) "Should black cat adoptions be permitted in October?" Thoughts?
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12 comments:
I think if the adopter has been screened well, and a vet check is done, its fine.. :)
I helped my boss pick and adopt a black cat in October 2009. We never gave a second thought to the whole Halloween thing, and I'm so happy this lovely boy now has a great home and spends his days in the office with me. If you take the right precautions, I don't see why it would be a problem adopting out black cats in October. Besides, they have such a hard time finding homes anyway.
As far as single kitten adoptions, well I adopted a single, orphaned kitten a few years ago and I think she is very happy being an only cat. I think if you have the right lifestyle (a homebody like me), and you enjoy spending time and playing with your cat, they are perfectly happy being only cats. Again, I think it is just a matter of finding the right adopter.
I agree - and the shelter where I volunteer has the same thing....they do the same screening in October that they do the rest of the year. If you qualify in February (or any other month), you still qualify in October. I think people get so wound up about the "superstition" - black cats are hard enough to get adopted....don't hold up their adoptions or drive off adopters over something that has NEVER been proven.
I agree with the above. As far as adopting one cat to a cat-less home, I agree there too. There are too many dying in shelters. Get them into good homes and stop nit-pickin'. I had one cat for 14 years and she was loved, she travelled by car with me to visit family, she loved my friends and enjoyed her time alone. She lived 20 years.
Personally, if a rescue screens well, vets the adopter appropriately *and* there's a veterinary reference to boot, well, I'd say you've covered all bases and I wouldn't know why you shouldn't adopt out black cats during halloween.
I'm not that convinced about kittens growing up without a cat friend though... (although if the choice is being killed in the shelter vs growing up alone...well...)
Cindy, Bertie, Sammy, Malley, Batman and Garth.
Agreed! If a proper, full screnning checks out 100%, go for it. Better a qualified home than no home!
Yes they should.
If a sick person wants a black cat, unfortinitly there are places they can get them for free
Also glad you changed you mind on the kittens needing to go in pairs.I think you can save more lives and do more adoptions
I see absolutely no reason why you should halt adoptions on black cats! Especially when the adopters have been properly screened. As for single kittens: when I was 20 I adopted my first cat on my own - who just happened to be black. I adopted her alone because I was a student and couldn't commit to more. Murphy didn't stay single though! Peanut joined us 2 years later, and Zoot a few years after that. You know what my count is like now lol, fosters in. Not all single cats stay single and its ridiculous to restrict single kitten adoptions for an animal with a 20 year life span. Lots happens in 20 years!
I have always had a dog and a cat together. They bond well, play and groom each other and are good company for each other when I am not home. An only cat is not always an only pet!
Harpurr's Mom
Beth:
Thank you for being someone who understands that kittens adopted singly will be fine. We once wanted to adopt a kitten from another shelter but the rescue refused to allow it unless it was in pairs. I think a single kitten can be given loving care, played with, socialized and may bond more closely with its owners. They just need to be given lots of attention and be included in daily life. I am having lots of fun with our sweet Casper (Hercules), although we do have our older cat who's not too enthused about playing with him.
A.
Without a doubt, yes!
Too bad we are not in England where they think quite the opposite - black cats are GOOD luck!
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