An Ode to my Black Cat on Friday the 13th

This Friday the 13th morning, Indiana and Onyx successfully napped on the bed together, and it warmed my heart them getting along, even if the dog was under the blanket and probably unaware of his proximity to the cat.  After adopting Indiana, things got a bit more exciting forOnyx and he didn't appreciate it for quite a while.  Now, I think that Onyx is finally getting used to his new dog sibling and he is finally going back to his old routines of snuggling the Husband and me in the morning and sitting in my lap.

I tend to look evil in pictures, but I promise I'm a sweetheart.

Unfortunately, not all black cats get such a cushy life.  Black cats get a bad rap.  They are seen as "unlucky" and "evil."  All of this is totally false, of course but they still have a hard time getting adopted from shelters according to the ASPCA.  This is terribly sad, and something I did not know when I went looking to adopt my cat, who turned out to by the aptly named, Onyx.  In fact, when the Husband saw Onyx in the cat enclosure when we visited Manhattan's ASPCA shelter, I thought I'd have to jump through more hoops to adopt a black cat, thinking shelters saw too many prospective adopters looking for back cats for nefarious purposes.  Turns out I was not wrong about black cats and some bad adoptions.

My Chat Noir

Now, my regal Onyx is one of my muses and just a great cat. My Black Cat crosses my path everyday and never causes any bad luck.


Some Positive Cat Myths

The Indoor Cat Conundrum

"But he wants to go outside." "We live on a very quiet street." "It's cruel to keep her in." These are things said by people who would never dream of opening the door and sending toddlers to wander down the street on their own. - Why All Cats Should Be Indoor Cats

I came across an interesting article on the PETA website. While I'm not always too keen on their fanatically serious take on animal issues, I felt this article was a great policy for any cat owner. It explains the dangers of allowing a cat to go outside, and I couldn't agree more with their view on keeping cats indoors, unless under supervision. Onyx hasn't been outside while I've owned him, and I plan to keep it that way, until I can build him a little kitty enclosure in our future backyard. Or, the day comes that he learns to love the leash I purchased for him while trying to fulfill my desire for a dog.

He does occasionally get to wander into the hallway of our apartment building, but seems pretty relieved to be scooted back inside.

Does this face look like it could handle the great outdoors?

Sidenote: Image Googling "Cat Outdoor Enclosures" comes up with some brilliant, zany, totally over the top enclosures Onyx dreams of in his sleep. Check out some winners here.

A taste of the sweet feline life.