UK charity Cats Protection launched Black Cat Awareness Day ( 27 Oct this year) because black cats are the least popular feline pets, partly due to them not being thought pretty enough and also because some people link them to bad luck. The charity has more black cats in their care and each one waits a week longer than average to find a home.
Nia V from BBC Three Counties Radio’s Nick Coffer Show went to meet Julia Derrick who fosters cats for the charity from her home in Hemel Hempstead
“Taking animals when in the depths of despair and finding a forever home for them is just what floats my boat.” says Julia, ” I have homed over 500 cats. Generally people go for tabbies or marmalade cats as there is an element of superstition involved with black and black and white cats or they just don’t choose a black one because they aren’t fancy enough. Older cats don’t get picked either so if a cat is black and over 10 she won’t stand much chance of being rehomed”
But there is so much more to a cat than its looks
“I advise people to look for character, pick out the funny guy,
Laughter is the most precious gift we can be given and we get it in spades with these animals. Some make me laugh out loud. We have a saying that if you help a cat you help a human being and that is so true. They give you lots of love in return and are especially helpful for people having a difficult time in life”
Cats Protection Hemel Tel 0845 371 1851 or email bexleys-cpcats@hotmail.co.uk
Three Rivers 01923 283338 http://www.cats.org.uk/threerivers
https://www.facebook.com/BBC3CR
Nick Coffer, BBC Three Counties Radio, 12-3pm Mon – Fri
http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecountiesradio