Why Black Cats are the Best

Ever since high school, me and black (male) cats have had a thing goin' on. I say that tongue-in-cheek, but it is true. When I was around 14 years old, I was walking home from school and a very cute, long-haired black cat followed me home. I tried discouraging him (no--really) but to no avail. We kept him for a couple of weeks, but my mother didn't really like him and that was that. It was, however, the beginning of a beautiful friendship between myself and these dark beauties.

When I went away to college, I lived at first in an apartment complex several miles from the commuter college. A neighbor's black cat took a shining to me, and me to him. I named him "Poochka" since I didn't know his name, and he wound up spending more time with me than with his owner. She didn't mind, but when I found out she was moving, I asked if I could have him. No, she said, she wanted him. Oh, darn. My roommate, seeing that I missed him, bought me a cat from a pet store. She was a black and white semi-longhair, and we bonded, no problem--even though she wasn't a black male!

I was working part-time at a veterinary practice while I was in school, and a black cat was to be put to sleep simply for having cystitis. Well, I took him home. We became fast freinds, but my new landlord didn't want us having cats, so I found him a good home (he relaxed this rule later in my tenancy, albeit unofficially).

For a few years, I was black-cat free. Oh, I had pet cats, plenty of them. But no more black ones fell into my lap until I found the litter that presently live with J. and me. As you have probably surmised, Black Bear is my cat. He's friendly to everyone, and the mellowest guy you'll ever meet. But as J. says, "If you're around, he doesn't care about anybody else." I wouldn't say out loud that he's my favorite, but there is no doubt that there is a special bond between us.

J. and I have decided that we will always have at least one black cat around from now on. If we actually get to pick the next passel of cats instead of them dropping from the sky, we've decided on one black one, a calico, a white cat, another marmalade cat....oops! Looks like I'm getting carried away! Well, I can't help it. After all, cats are the best!

Happy Halloween! Remember to keep all cats indoors, just in case.
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