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This is priceless, one of the best things Ive read on FR. But I have to take issue with the idea that orange tabbies are most discriminated against. Black cats actually are, according to shelters who hold special events promoting black dogs and cats.
My cat (black with a tiny bit of white)showed up at my cat door(actually my kitchen window) in 2007. Through his microchip, I found out who owned him. He came back and showed up on the foot of my bed 6 days later. Not long after that he jumped up on the kitchen range to steal some weenies that were cooling. He intimidated every indoor-outdoor cat( there weren’t that many, but a few) over 2 square blocks, which is a big territory in a densely populated Seattle neighborhood. “That cat wont hunt.” He was the only one of the 4 cats I had who had never shown any interest in assisting with mouse and rat control in our building. He won a blue ribbon at the 2010 Average Joe cat show ( fundraiser for a cat charity)as “most obnoxious cat.” I’ve never known him to lose a fight. His veterinary bills are low. Besides shots and checkups, he’s only had to be treated for ear mites, a mild urinary tract infection and a small fight wound on his head. I did opt to get his teeth cleaned when I was getting a steep employee discount in 2008. He has been banned from one of my housesitting jobs for intimidating the 80 lb. dog and two cats and allegedly peeing on the householders bed. The guy is a CPA so I hope he’s not lying. If my cat had a favorite self help book it would be Winning Through Intimidation by Robert Ringer. He bit the person he stayed with during an exterminator visit. He was sitting on her lap watching TV. Fortunately she didnt get an infection. He chews on my hair, licks and bites me and shreds newspaper to wake me up. He also snores as loudly as a person. I feel bad now that were in downtown Everett, though there are big windows they can sun themselves in. I don’t think they would allow anything like a Catio here because they don’t allow window boxes. He hates the leash and walking him is usually like walking a Pet Rock. One good thing he’s done in his life is offer “therapy” to Sound Mental Health clients in Seattle. They really liked him. We were next door to them and apparently he didnt bite any of them, not seriously anyway.
I realized that this wasnt meant to be a brag-about-your-cat thread, but it really made me think of my cat. In spite of everything, I love him and I think he loves me. He’s curled up at my elbow as I type this.