I recently announced our formal adoption of Edgar Allen Poe, the adorable five month-old black kitten. As I was reading the comments, I was both thrilled and delighted with all the supportive, happy feedback. In fact some folks called us “heroes” for adopting a black kitten. They sent us many blessings.
However I didn’t quite understand the reason for the accolades we received for adopting a black kitten. We didn’t purposely adopt a black kitten. We just fell in love with his charming and beguiling purrsonality and his sweet, affectionate nature. But even if his color was pink and purple polka dotted it wouldn’t have made any difference. It was not only this little pip-squeaks’ personality and the cute chirping sounds that he made that were “ear and sweet candy” to us; it was also his gentle, curious personality that drew us to him the instant we held him. It was very obvious that he was begging us to give him a permanent loving home. Two hours later he got his wish!
Nothing could make us regret our decision to adopt Poe. He makes us smile and gives us so much joy. He showers us with an abundance of love and lots of kitty kisses. But had I known ahead of time that we would be coming home with a black kitten, I would have been better prepared and would have made some radical changes to our environment. We would have painted almost everything in our house white.
For example: Our bedroom furniture is rather dark and Marty’s exercise machine is black. Although we kitten-proofed the bedroom, we couldn’t change the color of our black flat-screen TV. Our phones are black; our bedroom chairs are covered in a dark fabric, and the bedframe is black.
Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to find a black kitten on a mission to all of a sudden disappear in a room that was made to suit his taste? Edgar Allen Poe simply blends right into the shadows, leaving us dismayed when Poe has decided that he doesn’t want his presence known. I am certain he is getting one heck of a belly laugh at our expense!
Edgar Allen Poe joined our family already named. He also arrived accompanied by a flea or two. His fairly incessant scratching gave us a clue that Edgar Allen had some pesky insects hitchhiking on his body. Have you ever tried to find a flea on a black kitty? I mean – It’s a fruitless task as far as we are concerned!
Someone suggested giving Poe a bath using Dawn; leaving it on for about 10 minutes then rinsing him off thoroughly. Since Poe was attracted to water, I actually gave this idea some consideration. That was, however until he spied me filling the tub to take a bath. Naturally, Poe made a power dive into the tub, but once his paws, tail and belly got wet he started frantically trying to climb up the side of the tub. In his attempt to escape from the tub, the energy he exerted was identical to the amount of energy necessary to reach Mt. Everest’s peak. Give him a bath? It would be a fruitless exercise. In comparison, summiting Mt. Everest would be a breeze.
Our enigmatic and highly intelligent kitten had been named “Poe” by the shelter folks. We decided to give him a “classier” name which would fit his personality. So when I found an article about Edgar Allen Poe in which he was described as a “mysterious child playing practical jokes on his classmates and teachers and had an excitable temperament with a great deal of self-esteem”, I knew we had hit the nail on the head.
We are slowly introducing Poe to Sir Hubble Pinkerton, our senior white Oriental Shorthair. Poe is fascinated with his big “brother”. At the time of this writing Sir Hubble is kinda hedging his bets about this whole relationship and seems a little intimidated, but he treats Poe very gently.
What will transpire in the future remains a mystery. Should they become best buddies what I do know is that it will be much easier to locate a black kitten who is hanging out with an all-white cat. I am sure that they will work together to decide how their relationship will evolve.
If you happen to have a Chrystal ball handy, would you kindly share a prediction of what lies ahead for them? Please let me know in a comment.
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Poe could be a model for http://www.catsinsinks.com and yes, there is actually a site called that, which I encourage everyone to visit freqently! It’s addictive. Poe is actually a tuxedo, yes? but by whatever name, he is handsome, sweet, and adorable, no doubt about that! and he looks very fine in HIS bathroom. Have you tried engaging them both in interactive play, like with a “da Bird” feather toy? I know Sir Hubble may not be as enthusiastic as little Poe, but the “experts” encourage this kind of inclusive play as an incentive for cats to befriend one another. I mean, if Jackson Galaxy advocates it, it must be good, right? And as for fleas, a really good flea comb is a “must” as well as a good supply of Advantage, just in case 😉
Sorry about the photo uploader, Serbella. I checked out the link. Nice. It is strange that black cats are still a problem because of superstition but it is true. The human is a fearful creature. In Africa the black cat is often considered, today, in the same way people considered the black cat in medieval times.
https://pictures-of-cats.org/Africa-Black-Cats-and-Superstition.html
Hope your kitties settle into companionship soon. At least they’re not fighting! That’s so stressful.
Flea combs are great to have handy at the various places I sit with my kitty. They’re easy to see on the comb, and then I grab with my thumb and forefinger. I also have small containers of vaseline to dip the fleas in. They can’t get away, and it’s easier than trying to use my fingernails, and having them escape. The flea comb is a vital part of my daily routine with Mitzy. I have several in various places.
I meant ‘the fact that they have “that’ coloring’. I hate typos.
Morning, Jo!
Congrats again on acquiring your lively little furball! Looks like he’s already made himself quite at home. I don’t understand the bias against black cats either. I know it’s rooted back in medieval times, when cats were supposedly witch familiars, but come on, folks, it’s the 21st century and we’re still hanging on to this stupid notion? Shelters will not adopt out black cats and dogs during Halloween because of dumb humans. Black cats are usually the last to be adopted and the first to be euthanized, and even if a cat has other coloring like white in their coat, the fact that they have they coloring seems to be a mark against them too.
When Poe and Sir Hubble finally openly declare their friendship (and they will) I predict they will be napping together all the time. You’ll have a furry yin yang symbol. Sir Hubble’s an old boy and it takes seniors a while to warm up to new things. He’s doing pretty good so far.
I don’t trust the image uploader, so I’ll just post these links. Norman Reedus (Daryl on The Walking Dead) had the same problem: he couldn’t see his all black kitty against his black floors, so his kid named the cat “Eye in the Dark.”
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/483996291180064727/
Nice picture by Marty. Well done Marty. Poe looks cheeky and charming. He also looks quite small. Did you say he is not yet a fully grown up adult?