Kitten Season & Black Cats

It's kitten season, folks, and the shelters are full. Remember that black cats still face prejudice due to superstition. They get adopted last and in many shelters they tend to be euthanized first. If you are looking for a new friend, consider an older cat or a black cat.

Your local shelter could use donations (no matter how small), supplies (like pet food or paper towels) and foster parents. See what you can do to help cats and dogs today.

Cats are tribal

If you do get a kitten, remember that cats are tribal animals and they get lonely and bored when you are away from home. It's always better with a buddy; why not get two? (1)

Petfinder

Enter your zip code in Petfinder.com to find photos and bios on on available pets near you. Animals are listed by animal, breed, age, color, location, etc. The shelters and rescue groups will be glad to give you advice and information on how to care for your new friend. Petfinder lists all local shelters and many rescue groups and some of these offer discounts on adoption fees this time of year.

Meanwhile, enjoy this cute video made by a shelter volunteer
using her own black cats and her dog as the stars

Black Cats Are Unjustly Discriminated Against

Saying Goodbye To Our Boy

Posted in honor of Bjorn, our 16 year old black cat who passed away in our arms last weekend. With the help of our wonderful vet and her compassionate staff, he moved on without fear or pain, resting on his favorite blanket, knowing he was loved.

He was a brave, big hearted little guy; a great talker with a powerful spirit.

Goodbye, sweet boy, you'll be missed. May your little black cat sister and our friend who rescued you all those years ago be there to greet you on the other side. Go play.

Sia

Related articles:

Those lucky black cats

Endnotes:

(1) That said, some cats aren't well socialized when young and don't like other cats or they really want to be your one and only. They have preferences just like we do and these need to be considered.

Iggy the cat investigates the ipad

Kevin Pereira (1) one of the fast talking, up-for-pretty-much-anything, very funny hosts on Attack of the Show noted on his twitter feed today that even cats love the ipad.

I've always said that cats are tool using animals. Few humans notice this because we are the tools they use.




Enjoy,

Sia

(1) I enjoy this gentleman's lucid, well informed critiques, as well as his interviews. Like Jon Stewart, he is courteous, thoughtful and good to his guests and much of his humor is self deprecating. Also like Stewart, he has a rapier fast wit which he uses at need. Best of all, he can take the most recondite tech and make it understandable to folks like me who just want the darn thing to work.

There are funny, smart, tech-savvy women on the show, as well. If you like computers, comics, movies and such check it out.

Bad Kitty

A little cafe near Portland used to have this painting of a skinny, golden-eyed black cat on their wall. This little cat looked, as my father used to say, "like trouble waiting to happen". Underneath her portrait were the words "Bad kitty - Offender of Justice". It was a sweet painting, one clearly done by a Cat Slave like myself. I sometimes think about revisiting that cafe and asking if it's for sale.

I was reminded of this artwork just recently when I read an article about Frankie the cat burglar. Frankie doesn't steal because he's poor. Frankie steals because he can.

Temple Grandin would call this SEEKING behavior (1). I'd have to add a bit of larceny-as-PLAY in there, as well.

Go, Frankie.

Sia

Endnotes:

(1) The caps are her doing. If you like reading about animals, you'll want to check out her new book titled Animals Make Us Human. You can listen to an interview with Dr. Grandin here at NPR.

Why you should adopt a black cat instead of an orange one? Do dogs need a pack leader or a poppa? And how do you to draw blood from an antelope without terrifying it? These are some of the questions author and animal advocate Temple Grandin answers in her new book, Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals.

Photo: Frankie with his stash from dailymail.com

Black Cat Adoptions for Halloween and Samhain

I posted this notice about black cat adoptions to The Witches Voice last week and it is getting a good amount of traffic. I hope this means that some black cats in this area will get good homes. (1) Right now, most shelters and rescue groups are full, yet many other cats (and dogs) need help. The home foreclosure crisis has hurt pets, as well as humans. (2)

Give A Black Cat A Home for Samhain

Lots of black cats and kittens are looking for forever homes just now. Why not add one to your family at Samhain? Below is an announcement from the Cat Adoption Team. CAT runs a No Kill Cat Shelter in Sherwood, Oregon and it is a cheerful, friendly place. (Also check the website for an outreach center in your area) . The adoption fees are listed at the website. All cats come with a health check & shots. They also come spayed or neutered and with their own micrcochip. If you already have a black cat, they have lots of other colors, too! The shelter has up to 400 cats and kittens at any one time so you will have lots to choose from. Some cats are in large cages but most are in the many beautifully decorated rooms (like the Jungle Room or the Lavender Room) where the cats can play with each other, roam, relax, and greet visitors. Please allow time to make your choice, and set aside at least 30 - 40 minutes for the adoption process itself.

BLACK CAT ADOPT-A-THON at C.A.T.

Learn what good luck you’ll have when you adopt a ‘dark’ cat this Halloween. Visit the haunted CAT shelter for some Halloween fun: see CAT staff in costume, enjoy Halloween trick-or-treats, have fun with CAT’s Bobbing for an Pumpkin of an Adoption Discount game, and find the ‘dark’ cat of your dreams. You could get up to $20 off your regular adoption fee today. Spin the Ghost Wheel to receive a shopping discount at CAT’s in-shelter Boutique. No ghosts or goblins, but you are guaranteed to have a ghoul of a good time looking for your next furry feline friend. CAT is open from 11 am – 7 pm on Halloween. Date: October 31st Place: CAT’s Haunted Sherwood Shelter 14175 SW Galbreath Dr.

Event Location: Cat Adoption Team in Hillsboro

Event TIME Details: 11 am - 7 pm

Directions: Please see website for directions to the shelter and for the locations of 8 outreach adoption centers in the Portland Metro area and beyond.

Phone: (503) 925-8903

Website: http://catadoptionteam.org/

Mailing Address: 14175 SW Galbreath Dr, Sherwood, OR 97123

Sia

Related Links:

Petfinder.com helps you find adoptable pets and adoption groups in your area

Related Articles:

Those Lucky Black Cats

Halloween and the Black Cat: Superstitution and Urban Legend

You Call It Hallowe'en...We Call It Samhain

Endnotes:

(1) This is unusual. A lot of shelters won't adopt out black cats for fear of weirdos in some cases and , frankly, a bit of uninformed "Satanic Panic" in others. Sadly, they aren't wrong to worry. Shelter workers really do see more of cats harmed this time of year but not, of course, by Pagans most of whom can best be described as "Cat Slaves". It's best to err on the side of caution. Please remember to keep your cats (especially the black ones) safe and indoors this season, and never, ever "give" a cat away for free. If an adopter can't pay a reasonable amount for the cat, they probably a) can't afford to feed and care for it and b) might want it for the wrong reasons.

(2) The Zwillow Blog offers this advice:

What can you do to help? This abandoned foreclosure pets article offers some things you can do if you suspect a pet might be in danger in a foreclosed home:

• If you know that a home in your neighborhood is being foreclosed upon, why not ask the occupants if they have made plans for their pets?
• Some home owners might willingly turn over their pets to an animal welfare agency that specializes in rescuing stray and abandoned pets, if they knew where to take their pets.
• Leave animal rescue literature with the owners; it’s better to offend and apologize than to do nothing.
• After the owners have moved, check on the home to see if any pets were left behind or tied up in the back yard.
• Call your local humane society to find out how you can help to rescue abandoned pets.
• Call a local real estate agent and ask the neighborhood specialist to inspect the home for abandoned pets. Most will gladly oblige at no obligation.
• In some states, animal cruelty is against the law. If you suspect animal cruelty, call the police.

According to a recent USA Today article, the number of pets being released to animal shelters is also increasing by alarming rates in places where foreclosures are high. These pets are the “luckier” ones – at least they have a chance of being adopted. Some shelters are even creating special programs to help foreclosure victims and their pets. The Pennsylvania SPCA, for instance, offers their “good-home guarantee” program, which promises the shelter will keep the pet as long as it takes to find a new home, free of charge for foreclosure victims.

Viking Mice & Talking Cats

The BBC reports that:

A paper published in a Royal Society journal analyses the genetic make-up of house mice from more than 100 locations across the UK.

It shows that one distinct strain most probably arrived with the Vikings.

You can read more about this little adventurer at the link above.

Enter The Cat

Where ever we find mice, we find them linked with cats, whether it be in our ancient history or in the fables we tell our children. One of my favorite fictional cats teaches children about both. He is a magical talking cat named Gareth who appears in Time Cat, a book by Lloyd Alexander. Lloyd Alexander is the beloved author of fantasy who linked mythology with modern themes. When asked about choosing to write fantasy he said:

When asked how to develop intelligence in young people, Einstein answered: "Read fairy tales. Then read more fairy tales." I can only add: Yes, and the sooner the better. Fairy tales and fantasies nourish the imagination. And imagination supports our whole intellectual and psychological economy. Not only in literature, music, and painting spring from the seedbed of imagination; but, as well, all the sciences, mathematics, philosophies, cosmologies. Without imagination, how could we have invented the wheel or the computer? Or toothpaste? Or nuclear weapons? Or speculate "What if—?" Or have any compassionate sense what it's like to live in another person's skin?

...I don't mean to imply that works of realism haven't the same profound effect on young readers. Of course they do. More often than not, however, realism tends to deal with material of immediate, current interest; with, to use a word much overused, what is relevant. All well and good. But there's a difference between what is relevant and what is merely topical. The topical goes away after a while, to be replaced by the next fashionable subject; the newest literary disease of the month, as it were. The best fantasy it seems to me, is permanently relevant. Because it deals metaphorically with basic human situations, it always has something to say to us. Also, I think that fantasy offers a certain vividness and high spiritedness unique to itself. We shouldn't underestimate the value of sheer fun, delight, and excitement. In any art, boredom is not a virtue.

Dealing with the impossible, fantasy can show us what may be really possible. If there is grief, there is the possibility of consolation; if hurt, the possibility of healing; and above all, the curative power of hope. If fantasy speaks to us as we are, it also speaks to us as we might be.

Off the Shelf:

Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason and Gareth by Lloyd Alexander
Publishers Note:

Gareth’s definitely not an ordinary cat. For one thing, he can talk. For another, he’s got the power to travel through time—

“Anywhere, any time, any country, any century,” Gareth tells Jason. And in the wink of a very special cat’s eye, they’re off. From ancient Egypt to Japan, the land of young Leonardo da Vinci to the town of a woman accused of witchcraft, Jason and Gareth are whisked from place to place and friend to foe.

Full of fun, excitement, and a good dose of history, here’s a fantastic tale that grabs the imagination and takes it far and wide, on the adventure of not one but nine amazing lifetimes.

Enjoy,

Sia

Additional Links:

For teachers & Parents: Teacher Resources & Lesson Plans on the work of Lloyd Alexander

Painting: Field Mouse by Canadian artist and teacher, Patti Hacult. More of her work can be found at the Independent Canadian Artist Online Studio.

Adopt A Cat for Lughnassa

Why not give a cat (or dog) a home for Lughnassa? I can't think of a better blessing then that.

If you live in the Portland area, check out the Dark Knight & Better With A Buddy adoption drives. Information on both events is below.

Sia

Dark Night Adopt-a-Thon at Cat Adoption Team
See what dark cats do after the sun goes down

August 1, 7 pm until 1 am

Wonder what shelter cats do when the sun goes down? Check out all the Dark Cats during the Cat Adoption Team Dark Night Adopt-a-Thon Friday, August 1. The CAT staff is going batty from midnight madness and is offering a special Dark Cat adoption discount during this after hours Adopt-a-Thon.

When: Friday, August 1
7 pm - 1 am (adoptions stop at 12:30 am)
Where: Cat Adoption Team Shelter
14175 SW Galbreath Dr.
Sherwood, OR 97140
(503) 925-8903

And until 9 pm at these CAT adoption outreach locations

* Hillsboro PetSmart Washington Square PetSmart
NE 25th/NE Cornell 8825 SW Cascade Avenue

* Clackamas PetSmart Wilsonville PetSmart
9450 SE 82nd Ave. 8311 SW Jack Burns Blvd.

Event: $25 off regular adoption fees for ‘dark’ cats/kittens (solid black, black and white, mostly black, and tortoiseshell cats all eligible for this Dark Night special) (other adoption discounts may not apply during this ‘dark’ special)

All ‘dark’ cats eligible for this ‘dark’ special will have special signs on their kennels

Special viewing of Batman movies and television series on the big screen all
evening long

Free popcorn

Chance to win tickets to see Batman “Dark Knight” movie at the Sherwood Regal

Cinema – 10 pairs to be given away throughout the evening

Go batty and buy all your cats’ nighttime gear at the CAT in-shelter Boutique – catnip toys, scratch posts, lively toys, collars, food, and trinkets

Better With A Buddy Adoption Drive
Adopt any two felines through Labor Day, September 1,
and receive $50 off your total adoption fee!

Cats like company and life sure is better with a buddy. Bring home two rambunctious kittens, two fun loving teenagers, two mellow adult cats, or any combination and receive the Better with a Buddy adoption discount.

Adoption discounts available at our Sherwood shelter, pre-adoptions out of foster care, any of CAT’s adoption outreach locations.

Double your feline fun and save $50!

The Cat Adoption Team (CAT) is the Pacific Northwest’s largest non-profit, feline-only shelter with its own full-service veterinary hospital onsite. CAT’s mission is to work with the community to save the lives of homeless, sick and injured cats and kittens by offering shelter, adoption, foster, hospice, spay/neuter, and veterinary services to end needless feline euthanasia. CAT will find homes for over 3,200 felines this year. As a 501(c)(3) publicly-supported charity, CAT relies on the generous support of the public and volunteers.
14175 SW Galbreath Drive ~ Sherwood OR 97140 ~ (503) 925-8903 ~ www.catadoptionteam.org

Related Articles:

Those Lucky Black Cats

Cat Playing the Theremin or テルミンを演奏するネコ

Hook that thing up to a can opener and they can rule the world.

Sia

For those of you using a reader, here is the link to the youtube video - the ending is the best part. That look on the face of the other cat is priceless.

Cats and Wildlife

As some of you know, my husband and I have been wildlife rescue and rehab volunteers for some years now. Tonight I'm giving a little talk at our local nature center titled Living with Wildlife. In these talks I always include notes on the issues surrounding cats and their tremendous impact on wildlife. The Portland Audubon Center has a wonderful page on this issue, which I'd like to share with you all:

Cats & Wildlife

This is yet another way to make the case for an indoor only life for our beloved cats. It has a very nice section on keeping indoor cats happy.

Regards to all here,

Sia

Holiday Food Give Away to Cats In Need

Update on Black Cat Adoption Special:

I am happy to report that C.A.T. found homes for 11 black or mostly black cats (both adults and kittens) during the Black Cat Adoption Special last weekend. I happen to know that some of the cats went to very good Pagan homes (Don't ask - let's just say I have my sources). My thanks to those of you who read this blog or saw my notice at The Witches Voice and gave these beasties a home for the holidays.

Further Notes:

12/7 through 16 CAT will be offering $25 off the single adoption fee of any cat 1 year or older.

They will continue to offer the Better with a Buddy Program ($50 off the second adoption fee)

Extended Hours: CAT will be open later for even more adopting. M-Sat 10-7 and Sun 10-6 through the month of December. Lots of extra time for people to stop by after work - so tell all of your friends.

www.catadoptionteam.org

Holiday Pet Food Give Away:

Speaking of the holidays, the folks at CAT had a very good time yesterday handing out food to other shelters in the area. (click on the link for pictures).

So No Shelter or Rescue Animal Goes Hungry This Season

They came with cars, pickups, and large delivery trucks on Thursday, November 29 - sixteen shelters and animal rescue organizations from across the Portland metro area descended on CAT in Sherwood. They were picking up pet food donated by Castor & Pollux and distributed by CAT. Over 17 pallets of dog, cat, and kitten food were parceled out. Many organizations, like The Pixie Project—in NE Portland, took as many bags as a two-door coup would hold. Others benefited from the use of larger trucks like House of Dreams, which sent a large delivery truck.

Throughout its nine year history, CAT has made it a priority to build positive coalitions with animal shelters and rescues across the state. Organizations benefit through sharing best practices, information, and resources - all with the goal of saving more lives.

Today, CAT was able to share the bounty of a large pet food donation from Castor & Pollux with these organizations. Approximately 60,000 pounds of high quality organic pet food was given to CAT in November. CAT will keep about 8,000 pounds to feed the cats and kittens in its care through the coming year.

CAT wishes to thank Castor & Pollux for its generous donation.

Tis the season of giving, after all, and we Pagans are givers.
Why not see what an animal shelter or homeless shelter in your town might need? A few blankets or some food can really help.

If you live in the Portland Metro Area, check out the Cat Adoption Team and their 8 different venues where good cats are waiting to find a home for the holidays.

Regards to all here,

Sia V.

Art: Cat Wall Plaques by David Lawrence in both cotswall stone and terricota are available at White Winds

Related Articles:

Those Lucky Black Cats

Samhain and the Call Towards Community

During this time of year many Pagans, both new and old, feel a call towards community. As we all know, True Tribe is not so easy to find. The best place to find events in your area is, and always has been, The Witches Voice. Go to your area's page, and look under events for open rituals, circles and ceremonies in your area. As always, practice caution and show common sense when meeting new people for the first time.

...and by the way, if you use or read The Witches Voice, maybe you should help support it, as well, yes? Think about what you spend on a CD, dinner or a movie on a regular basis, and send them that.

California Dreaming:

A reminder to my readers in California: The Full Circle Earthwise Community Calendar has a large listing of events in your area. This is a free service we offer to the community.

(My regards to our old friends out there. We love it here, but we miss you, as well. Know that you are in our hearts and our thoughts).

Looking Good and Doing Good:

This year, we are asking our readers to make Samhain donations to the various animal and human rescue groups that are helping people after the California wildfires. Whenever we find a coven or circle holding a charity or community fund raiser, we always like to highlight that in yellow at the top of the calendar. I strongly believe that Pagan groups should be about more than prancing around looking "witchy". I hope you do, too. If you know of a Pagan group that does good work in their community, write and tell us about it. You can reach us as info(at)fullcircleevents.org. (Change the word "at" to an at sign, and the email will go through)

Following the Fae

Our friend Pixie just sent us this link to her recent photos from FairyCon in Phillidelphia, which takes place in mid-October. Much fun was clearly had.

Our own FCE calendar lists the wonderful Labyrinth of Jared ball, which takes place in Los Angeles in summer.

You can view some of the pictures from the 2001 Witches Ball here. The theme that year was Fairies and we used the work of Brian Froud as our inspiration. We had a large, 3 level dance floor with seating all around, and a huge vendor room next door. Over 600 volunteers, and guests attended that year. It remains my favorite of all our balls.

All Dressed Up and Nowhere To Go?

As our regular readers know, we have not offered a Full Circle Witches' Ball for some years now, not since so many of our senior staff (your humble servant included) left California. However there are some excellent, smaller Witches' Balls (1) that go on throughout California and elsewhere, along with some lovely Spiral Dances (2). Check them out. It a nice way to meet people, without committing to an unknown circle or a long series of courses.

One of my favorite events in California is put on by our friends at PEERS. It is called the Les Ball Des Vampires and was recently the focus of an article at the San Francisco Chronicle.

I have a soft spot for the good folks at PEERS. They have put on amazing, varied events, every single month for many years now, and they always still found the time to work with us, as well. The two groups were able to share information and help promote each other's events. As a result, we have their wonderful folks at our Witches' Ball, and many of our people went to their various balls. That, ladies and gentleman, is how it's done. When I see two good Pagan groups in the same town competing jealously, instead of helping one another, I feel so frustrated. When I see Pagans put their noses up, and refuse to work with "mundanes" (like the good folks at PEERS, who are anything but), I just want to curse (pun intended). It's such a waste of energy and time.

We can do better, folks. We really can.

Blessed Samhain and a Happy Halloween to all here,

Sia

(1) Our ball was a charity fundraiser. It served as both an interfaith and Pagan Pride event, and it attracted both Pagans and nonPagans alike to a very fun, life affirming, and positive event, which is something I am very proud of to this day. It also took nine months to organize, required a great deal of seed money and needed many talented, reliable, hard working volunteers to pull off. Check out this page to see the various web sites we built for each ball, along with photos and notes about that year's award winner.

(2) Between us, I prefer the smaller, homegrown Spiral Dances. The large, self important, political dances bore me to tears.

Photo: This is an altar built by Fritz Jung and Wren Walker, the founders of The Witches Voice. It features their black cat, Dixie.

Related Articles: Building an Altar

Those Lucky Black Cats

Did you know that black cats are lucky? They get a bad rap in this country, but the truth is that black cats have been viewed as luck bringers and guardians over many centuries and in many cultures. The black cat has an amazing history and their story is closely intertwined with ours. Their treatment has varied, depending on how we humans view them. (1) Let's begin with an old charm, and a modern problem, and move on from there to the myths, stories and science surrounding these dark beauties.
Black c

Black cat, cross my path
Good fortune bring to home and hearth
When I am away from home
Bring me luck wherever I roam

- Old English Charm

Sleeping in a crate at the Montgomery County Humane Society with three other orphaned cats, 3-month-old Lark would seem to be the model of an adoptable cat. She is fuzzy, friendly toward people, and the domestic shorthair kitten has her life in front of her. There’s just one small problem with Lark: she’s black. In the numbers game that is animal adoption, that detail moves Lark and other cats like her to the proverbial back of the adoption line.

It is a sad but true fact that overcrowded animal shelters
will euthanize black cats first because it is so hard for them to find homes.

Top 10 Reasons To Adopt A Black Cat

10. You'll save $$ on their Halloween costumes.
9. You can always find them in the snow.
8. Holding a black cat is very slimming.
7. Black cats will match any decor.
6. A lint brush isn't required for a black-tie affair.
5. When you love a black cat, Luck is on your side.
4. Black cats are like onyx, a beautiful gem.
3. Hey, they don't care what color you are!
2. Love knows no color.

And the number one reason to adopt a black cat...

1. They are the least likely to be adopted.

The Lucky Black Cat

Throughout history, and in many cultures, black cats were seen as lucky, sacred and protective beings. For example:

* Freya, the Norse Goddess of Love & Fertility drives a chariot pulled by two black cats.

* To dream of a black cat is thought by many people to be a lucky omen.

* Many theater folk love cats, perhaps because they, too, were once ostracized and shunned. It is blieved that a black cat in the audience on opening night portends a successful play.

* In the south of France, black cats are referred to as "matagots" or "magician cats." According to local superstition, they bring good luck to owners who feed them well and treat them with the respect they deserve.

* Fisherman's wives kept black cats while their husbands went away to sea believing that the black cats would prevent danger from occurring to their husbands. These black cats were treated like royalty and were considered so valuable that they were often stolen. At one point, they became so expense that few fisher folk could afford them.

Whenever the cat of the house is black,
The lasses of lovers will have no lack.

~ English Proverb

* In Australia and Britain and other parts of the world where black is a protective color, black cats are though to be lucky. It was believed that their color gave them the power to ward off negative forces.

* In Ancient Egypt, cats were sacred and protected by the Goddesses Sekmet and Bast. A home that kept a cat was blessed. Egyptians believed that cats captured the glow of the setting sun in their eyes and kept it safe until morning. Killing or harming a cat was a horrible crime in their culture, and was punished by death.

* In the English Midlands, a black cat as a wedding present is thought to bring good luck to the bride.

* Many cultures believe that cats with gold or green eyes bring prosperity. Because of their eye and coat colors, black cats are thought to have ability to attract abundance and the power to protect it.

* Many cultures consider cats to be mystical creatures which were really fairies or in disguise.

* Some say that the ancient Celts believed that black cats were reincarnated beings who could foretell the future.

* Cats have always been associated with motherhood, protection, love and fertility, and it many cultures, black is the color of protection.

* Advocates of Feng Shui remind us that cats are drawn to harmony. Therefore a happy cat is the sign of a happy, harmonious home. A figurine of a black cat is often placed in the home, facing north, to ward off evil.

* In some cultures, brides were given black cats as good luck on their wedding day.

* In Finland black cats were thought to gently carry the souls of the dead to the other world.

* In Scotland it was believed that if a black cat crosses your path it will mean good things to come. A black cat on your porch will bring prosperity.

The smallest feline is a masterpiece
- Leonardo da Vinci

* For those who loved The Da Vinci Code, Leonardo da Vinci loved cats, and included many in his sketches, including one in the British Museum which show a Madonna with child and cat.

* King Charles I of England owned a black cat, whom he valued very much. He treasured the cat so much that he had his guards watch over it 24 hours a day. As luck would have it, the day after the cat died from an illness, the king was arrested.

Mysterious * Alluring * Beautiful * Playful * Elegant * Gorgeous.

All these words and more describe the unique glamour and mystique of the black cat. Mary Ann Miller, writing for The CatSite.com, tells us how such beautiful animals got such a bad rap here in the U.S.

Science & Black Cats

Black Cats and the Cure for Cancer:

Some researchers believe that studying the ancient mutation of color in black cats may lead to a better understanding of and treatments for aids and various types of cancer.

Hope for the Homeless - A Feral Cat Contraceptive Vaccine:

Action Cat notes that "Michelle Meister-Weisbarth, a student at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, has developed a genetically engineered bacterium that can be used as an oral contraceptive to control the unwanted cat population.

Meister-Weisbarth has been working with faculty mentor and molecular biologist Dr. Stephen Boyle, using genetic engineering technology to modify an approved vaccine, a strain of the bacterium Salmonella, which could then be delivered to feral cats in the wild via a vaccine-laden bait." An FAQ follows at the website.

Lastly, because They Inspire and Delight Us

Many writers have written poems and stories about their cats. Anyone who owns a black cat will testify to their ability to amaze, delight and inspire us with their beauty and grace. They are panthers, in little. Anyone lucky enough to live with a black cat can tell you that they are very fortunate indeed. I will leave you today with the cat poem titled Rescued Cat

Rescued Cat

Once I was a lonely cat,
just looking for a home.
I had no place to go,
no one to call my own.
I wandered up and down the streets,
in rain in heat and snow.
I ate what ever I could find,
I was always on the go.
My skin would itch, my feet were sore,
my body ached with pain.
And no one stopped to give a pat,
or gently say my name.
I never saw a loving glance,
I was always on the run.
For people thought that hurting me
was really lots of fun.
Then one day I heard a voice
so gentle, kind and sweet,
And arms so soft reached down to me
and took me off my feet.
"No one again will hurt you,"
was whispered in my ear.
"You'll have a home to call your own
where you will know no fear."
"You will be dry, you will be warm,
you'll have enough to eat,"
"and rest assured that when you sleep,
your dreams will all be sweet."
I was afraid I must admit,
I've lived so long in fear.
I can't remember when I let
a human come so near.
And as she tended to my wounds,
and bathed and brushed my fur.
She told me about the rescue group
and what it meant to her.
She said, "We are a circle,
a line that never ends."
"And in the center there is you
protected by new friends."

"And all around you are
the ones that check the pounds,
and those that share their home
after you've been found."
"And all the other folk
are searching near and far."
"To find the perfect home for you,
where you can be a star."
She said, "There is a family,
that's waiting patiently,
and pretty soon we'll find them,
just you wait and see."
"And then they'll join our circle
they'll help to make it grow,
so there'll be room for more like you,
who have no place to go."
I waited very patiently,
the days they came and went.
Today's the day I thought,
my family will be sent.
Then just when I began to think
it wasn't meant to be,
there were people standing there
just gazing down at me.
I knew them in a heart beat,
I could tell they felt it too.
They said, "We have been waiting
for a special cat like you."
Now every night I say a prayer
to all the gods that be.
"Thank you for the life I live
and all you've given me.
But most of all protect the cats
in the pound and on the street.
And send a Rescue Person
to lift them off their feet."

by Arlene Pace

Sia


Links:

Cat Poems

The Lucky Black Cats Group. Their motto is "Black is beautiful, especially in fur"

Feng Shui for Cats (humor)

Cat Persecuted as Familiars (Not for sensitive readers)

Pagan Shopping:

The Lucky Black Cat Spice Company
Hand crafted, no fillers, no MSG, gluten free, non-irradirated

Cat Faeries: Special Gifts for Cats

Feng Shui Cat figurines


Please note: FCE has no affliliation with these groups or stores. We have not received any gifts or funds for their mention here.

Poster Art: Le Chat Noir

Endnotes: (updated 8/30)

(1) Best Cat Art notes that Pope Gregory IX declared the cat to be a "Diabolical Creature". Persons that kept cats were suspected of being witches, and were put to death along with their feline pet. Cats were beaten, killed and driven away from towns and villages. In fact the domestic cat population of Europe came close to being wiped out. Some of the superstitions from those times surrounding cats, have survived history, such as believing it bad luck to let a black cat cross your path. Eventually the witch hunts ceased, and cats once again became highly prized and loved, household pets. By the late 1800s distinctive breeds were being established and cat shows held, with the long-haired breeds especially popular.

Sia's note: Ironically, the Black Plague, which was spread throughout medieaval Europe by rats and killed many millions of people, was made a thousand times worse by the killing of so many cats, their natural predator. The Irish have a saying that to kill a cat brings 17 years of back luck - seems right to me.

Links:

The Black Cat - Female Heriones

Cat Superstitions
My thanks to this website for some of the notes on luck and black cats.

The Palo Alto Humane Society says this about black cats:

What is it about black cats and kittens, that they're always the last to get adopted? It's not many a cat that can successfully pretend to be a black panther in miniature! This is the one color of cat that you can bet will be a 'character' cat. Quirky, usually with exceptional temperaments.....black cats are, without doubt, the 'dark horse' at the personality stakes. It's as if they've been purpose-designed to appeal only to the non-superficial amongst us. Give one a chance. You won't be disappointed.

And if you're feeling very avant garde...try two together. You too could have your friends and neighbours treating you with added respect, when they see your two black cats walking towards them purposefully!

Cat Magic or Cats Knot Working

Sia's Post:

Defend Our Pets is asking people to circulate and sign their petition to Congress to keep our pet food safe. (1) Once at that site you can also sign Senator Dick Durbin's petition to the Food and Drug Administration to clean up our pet food supply. The Congressman writes:

Recently, I spearheaded a Senate Committee hearing to find out what went wrong -- why contaminated pet food made its way into the food supply, and how we can make sure it never happens again. So far, we've learned that the response of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been wholly inadequate.

That is why I hope that you will forward an email to FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach -- tell him that it's time for the FDA to improve the safety of our pet food supply now!

Fun for Crafty Pagans

Heaven and Earth Counted Cross Stitch is a counted thread design company that is dedicated to creating beautiful and intricate cross stitch designs. Here you will find the charted artwork of many talented artists such as Linda Ravenscroft, Brigid Ashwood and Jessica Galbreth plus artwork of the Masters from the Pre-Raphaelite era.

I owned a retail store for many years, and this company takes designs by artists both modern and vintage (whose card designs I loved to carry in my store, and show at Pagan conventions) and turns them into art you can make. This includes the luminous designs by Josephine Wall, Jen Delyth and Cynthia Matyi

I got a kick out of the Bast Goddess by Carrie Hawks
(She should illustrate some children's books.)

Check out the Celtic Art section while you are there. I loved the Pre-Raphaelite images and the Tapestries.

My thanks go out to Wendy@Waltzing Dog for some of these links. Take a look at her site to see links to her fairy quilts and the Harry Potter henna art and her photos from the Sin City Henna Conference. (Wish I'd been there). I wish her all the best in creating her Labyrinth Garden.

Off the Shelf:





For scholars:

Cat in the Mysteries of Religion and Magic

and

Classical Cats : The Rise and Fall of the Sacred Cat

Help Support Full Circle: Any money made from book sales via the Powell's Books or Amazon links at this blog goes to support non-profit efforts such as the Pagan Voting Project, the Spiral Steps Support Groups, The Gaia's Guardian's Project (which supports those who do companion animal & wildlife rescue and work to protect the environment), and the Earthwise Networking Project (which helps like-minded folks connect to do some good where they live). Thank you so much.

Art: Cats Knot Working by Cynthia Matyi

End Notes:

(1) Text of Petition: As pet guardians deeply affected by the recent tragic deaths of many of our pets,and the failing health of many,many others, we ask for your support and assistance in preventing a recurrence of this disaster. We ask for:

	Tougher laws and regulations concerning the quality of pet food sold More stringent inspection of pet food Funding to assure these inspections Certification of foreign inspection standards PRIOR to allowing imports Accurate labeling that shows the quality of ingredients Labeling that shows ingredients from foreign sources A ban on foreign imports if inspection standards are lax Tough penalties for violators