Haiku: An Ode To Amazing Black Cats

When I was a kid, a “stray” black cat adopted my family (it turned out that she actually belonged to neighbors). She was a wonderful cat, with a warm, affectionate personality, and when she had kittens, the neighbors said that I could have one, a little brown tabby. Before I could claim that kitten, though, the neighbors moved away with the kittens…and left mama cat behind. So she really did become ours, and she was a truly special girl. I don’t have any photos of her, but I will always remember her as a gentle, understanding friend.

Sadly, black cats in shelters are apparently at a disadvantage compared to cats of other colors because they don’t photograph well, making it more of a challenge to get a good photo for the shelter listing, and because people apparently want cats that will show up well in their hastily-snapped photos of their cat that they intend to post to their favorite social media site. Really?? That’s frustrating to read because with some care, photos of black cats can be amazing, even without professional equipment (I use just the camera on my smart phone).

Black cats are just as full of personality and just as beautiful as cats of other colors. Need more reasons to consider adopting a black cat? Check out Kindness for Cats‘ comprehensive list of both humorous and serious reasons to adopt a black cat. I was struck by the article’s statement that “people of Scotland consider the black cat as a sign of prosperity” – on that basis, I must be prosperous, indeed!

Our farm cat, Morpheus, is a real character. He regularly presents us with rodents (I think they’re voles) that he’s caught – you can tell he has something because he’ll roll around, very excitedly, on the ground and meow until we inspect his treasure. Then he eats it, every bit (unless it’s a mole – they must not taste very good to him because he just leaves those around). He’s a cat with a job: helping keep the rodent population under control, providing his own mental and physical stimulation, and supplementing his regular food (premium kibble) with what may arguably one of the healthiest and most natural food sources for a feline – whole, raw prey. He does wear a safety collar with a bell to warn birds, but it doesn’t seem to have affected his ability to catch rodents.

Out in the field

2 thoughts on “Haiku: An Ode To Amazing Black Cats

  1. Coincidentally we both posted write ups featuring pics of black cats today! I didn’t realize they didn’t photograph well. It makes sense when the competition is fierce at the shelter. Strays are the best!

Comments are closed.