Helping Black Cats Find Their Forev er Homes - Forgotten Cats

SEPT EM BER ST AT US UPDAT E:
  W e sterilized 924 cats and placed 186 cats into lov ing forev er hom es!

Hel pi ng Bl ack Cats Fi nd Thei r Forev er Homes

Halloween often reminds us of black cats. October is their time to shine-
and rightfully so! They are unique animals. But unfortunately, black cats
get a bad rap, and they have even worse adoption rates. Of the millions
of cats that end up in shelters each year, the majority of those that are
euthanized are black. Why?

For centuries, black cats have been associated with bad luck and
witchcraft. They have long been at the center of spooky stories and
mystic folklore and are known as being a witch's BFF. This negative
stereotype is one explanation-but one study suggests that even when
people don't think about black cats negatively, they still have a tendency
to walk right past them at shelters.

Black cats are two-thirds less likely to get adopted than white cats
and only half as likely to be adopted as tabby cats. Several studies
 have shown the staggering preference people have for patterned
 and white cats. For whatever reason, a solid black coat isn't seen
                    as more appealing or doesn't
                        stand out to adopters.

As with all cats in a household, frequently black cats "materialize without
notice". This ability, and the extreme difficulty in seeing them in low light
or dark conditions, with just the gleam of their eyes visible, has also lent
them a cloak of mysteriousness. In Japan and the UK, black cats are
considered good luck, however many European countries regard black
cats as bad luck, usually in association with how they may appear or
cross one's path. Americans also regard them with suspicion, attributing a
fall in fortunes to black cats crossing paths.

Researchers from Canisius College conducted a study looking at the role
the website Petfinder plays in cat adoption. As part of this study, they
looked at the adoption rate of cats whose primary coat color was black
versus cats of all other coat colors. After analyzing the adoption records
of 892 cats with black fur over the span of a year, a few troubling results
were found. Firstly, black cats received significantly fewer clicks per day.
Secondly, black cats had significantly longer lengths of availability.
However, researchers found a few other interesting things that could help
these black cats get more exposure. When cats were photographed with
colorful toys, it played an important role in increasing their popularity.
Similar results were found when cats were photographed outside their
cage rather than in it. Showcase them on bright colors, with fancy toys,
and show their beautiful eyes in a head shot.

                              Help make this Halloween magical for black
                              cats! Tell your friends and family about black
                              cats' plight and remind them that they're just
                              as lovable and loving as colorful cats. It's
                              also important to remember that they are
                              not props and should not be adopted just for
                              Halloween. Companion animals are a lifelong
                              commitment and should be treated like a
                              member of your family.

                              ALL cats should always be kept indoors,
                              especially around Halloween, when many
                                        pranksters go on the
                                      prowl for roaming kitties.

                 Fun Fact:
  Tommaso, the black cat from Italy,
    is the richest cat in the world.
    His owner left him $13 million!

Spotlight on Eagle Scout- Fred Hendershot

Fred Hendershot, a resident at Mary Campbell Center was looking for an
Eagle Scout project (Eagle Scout age requirement is lifted for individuals
with disabilities). Fred loves animals and wanted to make his project
something that would help an animal rescue.

So after a search for a rescue that needed his help, Forgotten Cats was
the lucky recipient of his help.

Fred collected:
410 cans of wet cat food
315 lbs of dry cat food
159 lbs of kitty litter
40 rolls of paper towels
74 surgery quilts
Over 25 trap covers
1 large pet cage
1 med. Pet cage
2 carriers
1 bag of plastic bags
1 large box of fitted sheets and scrap sheets
1 large box of old blankets
1 large box of quilt scraps and fitted sheets

He also organized the volunteers to make the trap covers and surgery
quilts mentioned in the above list.

Fred received an Eagle Scout award on 10/4/18. Action news sent a
cameraman, Rep. Deborah Hefferman and Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long
both attended the ceremony, which was very touching. Fred was clearly
very happy and proud of himself, as he should be!

Congratulations to Fred on his award and his hard work!

Reminder:

                                           Every first Monday of the
                                        month, get your car washed at:

                                               Magic Car Wash
                                             3221 Naamans Road,
                                            Wilmington, DE 19810
                                         anytime from 8:30 am - 6 pm.
                                      Forgotten Cats will receive a $3.00 donation for
                                      every Super, Ultimate, or Works wash purchased!

                             TNVR Grant

We are honored to have been awarded a TNVR grant from the Maryland
Department of Agriculture Spay Neuter Grant Program. Forgotten Cats
received $29,425 to carry out TNR for 734 community cats in two zip
codes in Salisbury, one of highest cat intake areas for the local shelter.
The group will follow its protocol of ensuring it traps all of the cats in a
colony. Through this targeted effort, "we expect to stabilize 25 large
colonies," says Olivia Westley, previous development director of
Forgotten Cats.

               Thank you Alley Cat Allies for publishing
               this informative article on the program!

https://www.alleycat.org/maryland-program-awards-more-than-
890000-for-spay-and-neuter/

  Lets Keep in Touch!

302-429-0124 (DE)
215-219-8148 (PA)

4023 Kennett Pike, Suite 422
Greenville, DE 19807                            Donate

Visit our website at
www.forgottencats.org

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