Once again we celebrate the black cats and dogs who tend to fade into the background in a traditional shelter, and are so hard to photograph. Good clear photos of black animals deserve celebration.
Because melanin bonds chemically with adrenalin, it makes logical sense that animals with black coats are often especially lively, energetic, entertaining pets. There's no such obvious reason for the observed tendency of animals with black coats to be especially cuddly pets. These two observations may explain the old saying that black cats bring good luck; having an entertaining and affectionate pet surely qualifies as good luck.
What about the other old saying that black cats bring bad luck? Well...in the past France and England did a lot of bickering about the balances of power and trade, and in the nineteenth century England was clearly ahead. If the English thought black cats brought good luck and tried to keep one on every ship for that reason, people who didn't think victory for the British Navy was good news...I don't know. That's speculation.
Anyway the only scientific validity in either of these superstitions is that black cats tend to have what it takes to be what many people consider especially good pets. No generalization is always true. If black cats are sick they won't be very amusing, and if they've been mistreated they may not want to cuddle up with humans...but most of them are and do.
This week's bonus was suggested by an e-friend who lost a parrot. Many parrots don't particularly like their humans, and make it obvious, but when they like a human they make that obvious too. Green parrots are usually favored as decorative objects; gray ones, a different species, seem "smarter," more likely to learn enough words in a human language to carry on actual conversations with humans. Like the apes who've learned to converse with humans in sign language, parrots don't do a lot of abstract or theoretical thinking; they do make intelligent comments on what's going on. My e-friend wrote that (maybe) parrots shouldn't be kept as pets at all. "They're too smart. They love too much." Wild parrots live in flocks and don't relate to humans, so if parrots weren't kept as pets we wouldn't know how intelligent and devoted they can be, but...
Anyway, he said, he wasn't looking for another parrot unless someday he heard of one that needed rescuing. This I can understand. When you've lost a pet you loved it can be hard not to compare other animals with it, unfavorably, and some animals are intelligent enough to be hurt by this. If the next animal who shares your life was not part of the family along with the departed pet, the next best thing may be for it to belong to a different species, or at least have a completely different look, so that those comparisons don't leap to mind so easily. Of course it's not the animal you miss. It's just a poor creature that needed a home.
At a Cat Sanctuary it's hard to rescue birds, but it is about time we recognized that birds are some people's beloved pets too. Birds--chickens--were my first pets. So this week's post will include some adoptable birds.
First the cats...
Zipcode 10101: Beatnik from NYC
He's described as a mellow cat who doesn't mind sharing a human with other pets. He is an adult neutered male who's had some veterinary care.
Zipcode 20202: Pandora's Kitten Chaos from DC
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/pandoras-kitten-chaos-77447015/dc/washington/city-dogs-city-kitties-rescue-dc22/
His brother (Havoc)'s web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/pandoras-kitten-havoc-77447013/dc/washington/city-dogs-city-kitties-rescue-dc22/
And Pandora herself: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/pandora-77447016/dc/washington/city-dogs-city-kitties-rescue-dc22/
They're described as a fairly typical cat family. Calm, friendly, even cuddly mother and two frisky kittens who need a playroom. If separated the little guys must be adopted by people who live with another friendly feline, because kittens need someone to play with.
Zipcode 30303: Silky from Atlanta
Part Abyssinian, so with decent care she should remain slim, silky, and just a bit "special" (in a good way--you'll be able to pick her out in a crowd of black cats). Silky is described as a stereotypical black cat, frisky and snuggly.
"Jellicle Cats are white and black,
Jellicle Cats are small,
Jellicles jump like a jumping jack..."
The dogs...
Zipcode 10101: Frankie from Puerto Rico by way of NYC
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/frankie-i-love-to-cuddle-76771594/ny/new-york/miracles-for-satos-rescue-ny1518/
They think he's mostly Chihuahua with, obviously, some other kind of small fluffy dog in his unknown family tree. He's a lucky mix! No super-long facial hair to abrade his eyes, but enough super-long body hair to satisfy anybody's needs for fluff to cuddle and comb. He is said to love to snuggle. He is even said to like other dogs. Why was he listed for adoption long enough for his photo to slide off the front page? Because he's still in PR. The shelter staff want to know about you before they pay for him to be brought to the mainland. So you'll use discretion in answering questions and make no payments in advance.
Zipcode 20202: Tassels from Alexandria
Tassels came to the shelter in need of veterinary care. Apparently they've focussed on curing treatable diseases rather than on teaching her tricks, but she seems to be more poodle than anything else and should be able to learn. Her full-body photo is not clear enough to be a contest winner but she does have an adorable black and white fleck bib.
Zipcode 30303: Bingo from Houston, Texas
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/bingo-77841784/ga/atlanta/waiting-under-the-willow-foundation-wuwf-rescue-tx2467/
Nothing is known and nobody is even trying to guess about this dog's ancestry. He is just a dog, and apparently a fine one. Not even a year old yet, he's reported to be crate-trained, potty-trained, good at walking beside a human or riding in a car, well behaved around cats, other dogs, and children, and able to "sit" on command. They're sure he'll learn other conmands as quickly as he's learned all of this. He weighs about 40 pounds.
And the birds...
Zipcode 10101: The Four Friends from New Jersey
Their web page: https://www.petfinder.com/bird/4-friends-77654885/nj/cream-ridge/kind-heart-rescue-nj86/
The black one is an Easter Egger; she doesn't have the distinctive lethal-gene look of an Araucana but she lays blue-shelled eggs. The other three are Barred Rocks, not very easy to tell apart. Barred Rocks are considered a meat-producing more than an egg-producing breed but they do lay eggs and can become pets. These four hens have bonded; they stick together, will follow a human around the yard, and will let themselves be picked up or led back to their pen. The adoption fee for the four birds is just $50.
Zipcode 20202: Veronica from Upper Marlboro
Her web page: https://www.petfinder.com/bird/veronica-77639910/md/upper-marlboro/prince-georges-county-animal-services-division-md247/
Just a stray hen nobody's claimed, but what a pretty one! The patterned feathers are typical of Sebrights, one of the most popular breeds bantam fanciers keep as pets, and the thick upper neck feathers are typical of Easter Eggers, which I think (I admit some bias) may be the best all-around breed to keep as pets. My guess would be that the Animal Services Division won't ask a lot of money for taking her off their hands, either.
Zipcode 30303: Rooster from Lawrenceville
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/bird/rooster-77659832/ga/lawrenceville/gwinnett-county-animal-control-and-welfare-ga357/
He's just another stray bird nobody knows what to do with, or say about. The New York and Washington Petfinder pages list other adoptable birds besides chickens, parakeets and cockatiels and such, but this is the only homeless bird listed on the Atlanta page.
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