A holiday honoring the coolest cats: October 27 is National Black Cat Day, opens a new window.
A Chicago Love Story
Many years ago, I lived in Chicago and volunteered for the Anti-Cruelty Society, opens a new window. My job ruled! I went in after hours to pet cats in order to help "socialize" them. I loved it so much that I couldn't resist adopting one. The day I visited, I went in, thinking I'd definitely pick an orange one, because my favorite cat at the time was my friend's awesome orange cat, Nick (named after the singer Nick Cave). But when I went in, a little short-haired black kitten persistently vied for my attention. He had a soft adorable meow. He kept meowing. He meowed all the way home in the taxi!
What's funny is he ended up being a very quiet cat. Often he would open his mouth and look like he was saying "meow" but not a sound came out. I called it his "silent meow." His name was Q.
Q was a kitten who loved to play catch, he was happy and content to be cradled like a baby, and he offered me consistent companionship and love. I watched him grow from a kitten to a young cat whose greatest passion was stealing a package of white bread, ripping it open, and devouring as many of the slices as possible before I noticed. When he got older, we moved to Nebraska and then the Bay Area, and Q slowed down a bit. He loved watching birds outside the window and indulged me when I tied handkerchiefs around his neck and placed bunny ears on him for an Easter photo. Armando, a fellow librarian, once cat-sat him, and Q was so shy that he hid and Armando had to set up a pots and pans booby trap and sleep on the floor to finally catch him!
Q has since passed away and I still miss him so much. Every black cat I see melts my heart!
Save Black Cats!
Black cats have the hardest time being adopted. Traditionally, they have been associated with bad luck. Hence, Black Cat Appreciation Day was created to showcase these cool cats! ABC News has highlighted a list of local black cats, opens a new window that are currently up for adoption. I hope some of you out there can adopt one!
Picture Book Superstars!
Black cats are featured in many new and classic children's picture books. Believe me, I keep an eye for them. Here are some great ones to peruse!
Do you have a black cat? What's its name? Let us know all about your cats in the comments!
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