Questions About Black Cats, Genetics and Feral Cats

I am really glad to hear that as I do respect your thoughts.

Thanks ;-)

Thanks so much for all the help :-)

Noon Cat Nick,

I owe you a tremendous apology. I was completely and entirely WRONG!
You were absolutely correct.

The subject is quite fascinating really. I did a bit of research.
Fleas are to blame for the plague.

Next time I post and disagree with someone I will try to remember to
get my facts straight first.

Thanks again for all of your help.

Sincerely,
Melissa (MC)

"mc" wrote in message
...
Thanks so much for all the help :-)

Noon Cat Nick,

I owe you a tremendous apology. I was completely and entirely WRONG!
You were absolutely correct.

The subject is quite fascinating really. I did a bit of research.
Fleas are to blame for the plague.

Next time I post and disagree with someone I will try to remember to
get my facts straight first.

Thanks again for all of your help.


Stick around, Melissa. You're a class act.

mc wrote:

Thanks so much for all the help :-)

Noon Cat Nick,

I owe you a tremendous apology. I was completely and entirely WRONG!
You were absolutely correct.

The subject is quite fascinating really. I did a bit of research.
Fleas are to blame for the plague.

Next time I post and disagree with someone I will try to remember to
get my facts straight first.

Thanks again for all of your help.

Sincerely,
Melissa (MC)


Think nothing of it. Apology accepted, FWIW. But none was needed IMO. HAND.

cybercat wrote:

"mc" wrote in message
...

Thanks so much for all the help :-)

Noon Cat Nick,

I owe you a tremendous apology. I was completely and entirely WRONG!
You were absolutely correct.

The subject is quite fascinating really. I did a bit of research.
Fleas are to blame for the plague.

Next time I post and disagree with someone I will try to remember to
get my facts straight first.

Thanks again for all of your help.



Stick around, Melissa. You're a class act.



I must agree.

On Jan 26, 6:29*pm, Lesley wrote:
Jet black cats do exist through- the British Black shorthair is
disqualified in cat shows for any white whatsoever- the breed was
created by breeding black street cats to black street cats until such
a time as any white was bred out.

That aside he/she is not a feral. At some time the cat had a home and
is making it perfectly clear they would like another one...yours

If you had even tried to pet/pick up a true feral after three days you
wouldn't be writing to this list- you'd be in hospital haviing skin
from your butt grafted to your face to cover the mess.,
The cat has chosen you..get used to it!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

I didn't know that!
You learn something new ever day on usenet. Thanks Lesley )

Sheelagh"o"

Hey Everyone :-)

Thank you all for your kind words and for sharing in this post. I have
learned some good information here.

I just thought I would let you know that kitty cat is doing really
well. I am pretty sure he is a he... He loves attention and is doing
really well. I am glad I decided to take him in.

Thanks again for all your words of wisdom and advice ;-)

What nice pictures! You got those glowing eyes very well, LOL. I will
have to take some pictures of this one here, too :-) Yours is a lucky
kitty.

It is really a special feeling to have them come around like that.

I have to confess that I was a little unsure about how google groups
worked when I first signed up... So how would I go about having this
thread archived? I suppose it doesn't really matter, I suppose there
are probably other of archives that would answer these questions.

I have a feeling this is because I changed my email address... I will
see if I can't get it straightened out.

Thanks,
Melissa

On Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:29:00 -0800 (PST), mc
wrote:

Is there such a thing as a "true" black cat?


I have two adopted "all black" cats, and although they are both
apparently American shorthairs (neither sheds!) , they are not
related. There is not a single speck of white on either one; however,
they are different "shades" of black. When Onyx is in the sunlight
his coat shines almost a blue-black he is so dark. But Yoda --
although he appears as black as Onyx indoors -- has a very dark
reddish tint in the sunlight.
---
Zob

On Sat, 26 Jan 2008 05:56:29 GMT, Noon Cat Nick
wrote:



History: Witch-hunting became active in Europe in the 13th century.
Prior to that, it was virtually unknown in medieval Europe. The Roman
Catholic Church had rescinded all laws against witchcraft, claiming
there was no such thing, and therefore no one could be arrested, tried,
convicted or punished for an uncommittable crime.

When persecution of witches became revived in the 1400s and later
centuries, cats were part of the pogrom against witchery. Witches would
have animals hanging around their homes, known as familiars. Often cats
would be such animals, since they're attracted to the rodents that would
infest a domicile. Witch-hunters came to believe that witches could turn
themselves into other animals. Thus cats became associated with
witchcraft, thought to be witches themselves in animal form. They were
also considered to be "grimalkins," minor demons who acted as
intermediaries for witches, carrying out their orders so the witch
wouldn't be in the vicinity when the nefarious deeds were done.

In 1484 Pope Innocent VIII decreed that anyone who owned a cat was a
witch, and that when a witch was burned at the stake her cat must be
burned with her. In the 1500s Inquisitor Nicholas Remy declared that all
cats were demons. The Church became rife with cat persecution, blaming
them for the Black Death of the mid-14th century, which decimated a
third of Europe's population. Catholic priests during this time presided
over festivals where cats were burned to death by the hundreds.

Black cats got the worst of it, since black is a color commonly
associated with evil, Satan, and dark spirits. Besides being immolated,
they were beheaded, drawn and quartered, buried alive, and numerous
other manner of cruel execution. Because of this, cats that are pure
solid black disappeared from the landscape. And thus today true,
completely black cats are unheard of.


Wow, you actually believe that chain e-mail stuff?! ROFL! It's pure
fiction started by somebody who was really bored one day. Do you
really believe that black cats were only "owned" by people who were
pesecuted in one tiny area of the world during the Inquisition? And
that they were able to find and destroy every single one? Honestly,
think about it! Even if they, through some unimaginable powers did
that, Rome didn't control Persia, nor Egypt, where cats were revered.
What about the cats in Asia and Africa?

As I said in a another post, I have a purely black cat. He looks jus
tlike a miniature panther. The evidence is empirical and irrefutable
that the story you quoted is nonsense.
---
Zob