Under a Black Shadow

By Tali Lavie

April 14, 2006

	Blondes have more fun? Photo: Tel Aviv SPCA

People tend to be racist even when it comes to pets. They will always prefer to take a blond puppy or a ginger cat than a black one. Tali Lavie deplores the phenomenon and appeals to you: when choosing a companion animal, don't rule one out because of his or her color.

One cold late evening, about four weeks ago, a kitten's weak cries were heard. Moran Paz of Hakol Chai went to see where the cries were coming from, and whether they were distress calls. Shining down a flashlight, she found hidden in the grass a tiny black kitten, no more than two weeks old, all shivering and completely exposed to the many dangers of the busy street. She knew that if he weren't treated soon, he wouldn't make it through the night.

Moran observed the kitten from a safe distance for about two hours, waiting for his mother to return. Finally realizing the mother was not around, she turned to a neighbor who feeds cats in the area, and was told she had not seen the mother in a while. Moran had no choice but to take the kitten home with her.

After consulting a vet, she began feeding him from a bottle with a tiny nipple. From that day on, and for the next two weeks, she cared for his every need, fed him every couple of hours, and created dark, cozy corners for him to curl up in. She named the kitten Boris.

As Boris grew older, he became friendly, inquisitive, and energetic. Sveta, Moran's dog, sweet and black from nose to tail, found herself a true friend: she licked Boris, rubbed her big head against his little one, and he, in return, fell in love with her so completely that he slept on her chest whenever he had the chance.

So far, everything went well. Boris was in luck and he received devoted care. He developed quickly, and after two weeks began to eat independently.

When the time came, Moran began looking for a suitable home for him. With the first inquiries about possible adopters, we at Hakol Chai became aware of one of the painful facts about Boris' situation. Fortunate, endearing, and optimistic Boris, who befriended anyone he met, had to deal with the fact that people were deterred by his being a blacker than black cat.

Although fear of black cats is a known phenomenon, it was only when I became personally familiar with it, and saw with my very own eyes how a sweet little kitten is rejected just because of his color, that I understood the magnitude of the phenomenon.

Boris's video — Moran Paz

Racial discrimination

I do not judge anyone for their beliefs, even if I think their belief is false, but it is a shame that so many of us have chosen to adopt one so negative. Positive beliefs about animals are usually perceived as insignificant and we tend to dismiss them. How many of us have heard of the sailors' superstition, according to which a speckled cat brings good luck? Do people who spit at the sight of a black cat also thank their lucky stars when a pigeon's dropping lands on their heads?

Apparently, the belief that a black cat brings bad luck, which excuses us from the need to feel empathy for an animal and requires less of us, lodges more easily in the collective consciousness than a belief that results in behaviors less convenient for us.

If it is any help to those still suspicious of black cats, you should know that in the two weeks Boris spent with Moran, her luck did not change. The wonderful family that adopted Boris won the greatest prize — their house was filled with joy in the form of this happy cat. At the end of the day, all those close to Boris feel lucky.

Another worrying phenomenon concerning the color of an animal's fur is this: black dogs also find it harder to find an adoptive family than dogs of other colors. Unfortunately, in every dog kennel and shelter you easily spot the large number of black dogs who linger there for long periods before finding a home.

"Black doesn't fit the house"

Lately, I encountered this approach when a Hakol Chai activist found four abandoned puppies, two brown and another two, heaven forbid, black. The organizers of the adoption fair she went to with the pups told her the chances of finding adopters for the black puppies were small because of their color.

Fortunately for the black puppies, a wonderful couple came to the fair, and when they heard that finding a home for black dogs is more than the usual challenge, they immediately took them. Sadly, according to the organizers of the adoption fair, such cases are rare, and usually black dogs wait a long time to be adopted.

It is hard not to notice that in advertisements, also, light-colored animals typically appear. It is probably no coincidence that a white poodle was chosen to star in the National Lottery's heavily funded campaign. In most of the commercials, there are Golden Retrievers or fair Labradors, even though there is no problem at all finding black Labradors, if one insists on a specific breed.

Maybe objection to black animals is because black does not match the model of beauty in our society. I have heard more than once from people interested in adopting an animal that black "just doesn't go with the colors of the house," and not only once was I asked if there is "anything left in another color." Had I not heard it with my own ears, I would not have believed it.

I personally really cannot understand how one can choose a living creature for a friend based on color. The amazing dog I had several years ago was totally black, and I chose him when I was too young to imagine I should have a color dilemma. He simply needed a home, and he touched my soul. In my eyes, that's all it should take. And in yours?

Article reprinted courtesy of NRG.