Black Cat Appreciation Day

Haven't been here in awhile.. my apologies to those who missed me.
Yes, it's true that life has been busy.  Smoking Pen Press has now published its third title, and we've put out a call for submissions for the next title - due out before the end of the year. Family was visiting for a couple weeks, which was a terrific treat.  And we're having some major renovations done to the house.

But I don't think those are the real reasons... the real reason is that I've been so discouraged by all the political garbage being bandied about, that I just haven't felt like posting.  I've never been very political, and I've never liked the political campaigning we have to put up with every four years, but I sincerely feel that this time is the absolute worst it has ever been. The good news is that the election is only a few months away.  We'll still have to deal with politics, but at least we will no longer have to deal with campaigning.

So... on to bigger, much better, and much more important things!

As has been pointed out to me, today is Black Cat Appreciation Day.

I have two black cats.. well, not completely black, they're tuxedo cats.  But they're mostly black.  And in fact, my previous cat was also a tuxedo cat, and the cat before that - my very first cat - was entirely black.  So at least in my household, it's somewhat silly to have one Black Cat Appreciation Day a year... for us, ALL days are BCAD.

But it is true that there are a lot of myths and superstitions associated with black cats, and one purpose of BCAD is to try to dispel some of those.  So - in case you didn't already know -

* black cats are NOT the familiars of witches
* black cats are NOT bad luck
* black cats are NOT reincarnated demons

However, based on my personal experience:

* black cats are particularly adept at making sure that when they shed, their fur lands on a light colored surface... the lighter the better
* black cats do have interesting personalities  (well, yes, this does apply to all cats.. but that includes black cats)

To (perhaps) dispel another myth... it is commonly believed that black cats are the last to be adopted.  But while trying to confirm that, I found an informal study that suggested that the real issue is that more black cats are taken to shelters, than non-black cats.  Nonetheless, it is true that many shelters are giving deeply discounted prices today - Black Cat Appreciation Day - if you adopt a black cat.

I already have two black cats, and I appreciate them every day.  If you're considering adopting a cat, perhaps today is the day, and perhaps the magic color is black.

And before I return to my cup of tea... let me share some pictures of my current cats with you.