Second Chance Sheltering Network, Inc. is an all-volunteer,
not-for-profit animal rescue group serving the Western New York area.
Their goal is to help place homeless animals while simultaneously
helping interested individuals find a new furry companion. Every
Sunday, we will be running a homeless pet spotlight to help these
animals find families.
This sleek, loving and playful 1.5 year old kitty began her journey on the cold streets of Buffalo as a single mom trying to take care of herself and her 5 kittens after her owner abandoned her. Second Chance got the call about a cat with kittens that just kept “crying and crying” and annoying this person who called us. Second Chance immediately took in Annie and her 2 week old kittens and realized the reason the kittens were crying was that Annie herself was skin and bones and had to leave them to go and find food!
She then went into a foster home with her kittens and her worries were over. Warm, full of food and receiving tender loving care, she proved to be a wonderful mama and she is now starting to enjoy her “kitten-hood” that she never was able to have. To put in an application for Annie, please call Second Chance at 716-652-6051. Adoption fee required for Annie…..her toy banana is free! Annie is negative for feline leukemia/Fiv, spayed, had distemper/rabies vaccinations, 1st deworming, and had flea control applied. More adoptable animals can be seen on our website: www.secondchanceshelteringnetwork.com.
Black Cats Least Likely to Be Adopted: Felines with Dark Fur Have Less Chance of Finding Loving Homes
Second Chance Sheltering Network, Inc. is a No-Kill shelter which makes “Annie” a very lucky little kitty. However, three to four million cats are surrendered to traditional shelters every year in the United States alone, which means that an enormous number of cats are euthanized or live out their lives in cages. Black cats are more likely to be among the unlucky ones.
Various animal rescue organizations have noted that black cats are at a significant disadvantage when it comes to adoption. A 2002 California study found that black cats were only half as likely to find loving homes as tabbies, and two-thirds less likely to be adopted than cats with white fur. Given that overall adoption rates were just 20% for all shelter cats in a traditional kill shelter, black cats have particularly bleak odds.
Why Black Cats are Less Likely to be Adopted
The primary reason that many adopters avoid black cats (and black dogs as well) is thought to be superstition. Black cats, and to a lesser extent black dogs, were once associated with witchcraft, and in Western cultures, they became associated with bad luck as well (though a black cat crossing one’s path was considered good luck in England).
Reasons to Adopt a Black Cat
While many experts assert that fur color has no effect on personality, in Animals Make Us Human, author Temple Grandin notes that a number of studies have found that black cats are more likely to be laid back and friendly than those of other coat colors studied. Of course, this won’t apply to all cats. Feline personalities are variable just like the humans who adopt them, and life experience also plays a role. But it’s worth noting that no study has ever found black cats to have more negative traits than those of other coat colors.
Just Remember:
• “Black goes with everything”
• “Love knows no color! Your cat doesn’t care what color YOUR hair is!”
As for superstition, as Groucho Marx once said, “a black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere.”
Learn about feline leukemia…