Update: Do-Nut got adopted today!!!
In January, I wrote a diary about the plight of black cats, who have a hard time getting adopted from shelters due to people's superstitions. Now that I've figured out how to post pictures, thanks to the magic of Photobucket, I am going to add some faces to the story.
Right now, thirteen out of the fifty adult cats at the Animal Defense League are solid black, and most of them have been there longer than six months. Two have been there longer than I have been volunteering (six years). Follow me below the fold to meet them.
Bethany is about a year old, one of the many kittens who was not adopted because she is black. She is really good with people but likes to pick fights with other cats.
Bootsie is two years old and really sweet but easily overlooked.
Chachi is one year old and another leftover from last year's kitten season.
Cinderella is 13 years old and has been at the shelter for years. Most likely, she's a lifer. She looks like Basement Cat personified, and her belligerent attitude does not exactly help. The only people who ever applied for her were Goth kids who didn't get permission from their parents or landlords to take her home.
Diamond is two years old and easily overlooked, therefore still at the shelter, even though she's a nice kitty.
Do-Nut (names can be changed after adoption) is two years old, fuzzy, and a real snuggle bug.
Gandjee is three years old and has turned napping into an art form. He doesn't move much, but he is really decorative.
Mamie is 14 years old and very shy. Fortunately, she has her circle of friends at the cattery.
Maya is two years old and very shy. Some days she only comes out at feeding time.
Ronnie, three years old, usually sits by the window, watches birds and potential adopters, and looks decorative.
Tammy, nine months old, is the youngster in the "adult" part of the cattery. She is very sweet, but the older cats think she's obnoxious.
Warren is a year old, very small, and very fuzzy. Cute as can be.
Jordy is three years old and the last feline Hurricane Ike survive that is still at our shelter, looking for a new home. He is adorable, but the other Ike kitties were not black and went first.
So this is the black pootie gallery of the Animal Defense League in San Antonio. I am sure other shelters have similar casts of characters. So if you're in the market for a pootie adoption, I suggest an inofficial affirmative action. Get to know the cats at the shelter and adopt according to personality and compatibility (content of character, if you will), but if there is a black cat on your short list, give him or her preference. Basement Cat lookalikes everywhere need our help.