Black cats can have it tough. There’s a superstition that they’re unlucky. Not true. In some parts of Europe, black cats are considered good omens. That’s probably not true either. But one thing we do know is that black cats are harder for animal shelters to adopt out. I wonder why; their coats are sleek, shiny, and luxurious. There’s nothing at all different about them, and I’ve known some wonderful black cats.

My favorite was Picklepuss, a farm cat owned by my riding instructor. He would detect the sound of her Karmann Ghia driving towards the farm about a mile away, and wait for Ardeth where she regularly parked. When Ardeth got out of the car, Picklepuss leapt to her shoulder. He spent much of the day there. I took many riding lessons from someone with a cat on her shoulder.

In my shop, this black cat print is more popular than any other. Maybe that’s because the people who visit my shop judge a cat not by the color of their fur, but by the content of their character. I do love my customers; you are my people!

Check out some of the most famous black cats in our culture. Sufferin’ Succotash. Remember who said that?