Another contentious issue

Alea You're far too late. Andrew Lloyd Webber thought of musical cats long before you did.

Musical cats?

That might be a problem.....mm, just thought what about cat sharing? Group of people with one cat between them, moving it from house to house so people can have proper holidays!

Beware of irate owners forcibly repossessing your moggy though

Oh I don't approve of this thread. I am desperately trying NOT to be persuaded to have another cat. DGS thinks I should have one (or a dog he doesn't mind). I want to be pet free. My neighbours all have cats so there are quite enough round here already, BUT now granjura has put the idea of catnapping in my head. My neighbours work all day. A little chicken and some cat food could lure their cat into my house and then.....

My 2 ragdolls, resting

Being racist about the colour of a cat? Now my mind is truly boggling.

This story is getting more and more surreal and seems to change with the retelling. This was what I read, so I don't think I am "twisting" anything.

The next day I went to see the elderly couple and told them I was sorry, but Thomas was our cat and would always be- but that I would endeavour to find them a kitten asap. Their reply 'well it has to be a black cat, we only want a black cat, no other colour' at which point I saw ... red, and told them that if they were racist I couldn't help them. done

Of course there is nothing wrong with having a preference- I've had all sorts- but our 2 favourites happened to be black. This is just getting daft, really- but there is something wrong with someone who steals a cat and refuses to give it back, because of its colour- surely.

The racist word came out at the time, as I went there to offer to help find them a kitten- but they made it clear only a black one would do and nothing else. Said in haste, but quite apt, actually, in the circumstances.

We were truly upset at the time, and so was our toddler. Thomas of course jumped straight into the big cardboard box he shared as a play house with our DD2- and promptly fell asleep on her lap- purring away. Ahhhh- and it was wonderful. You can distort the story all you wish- such happy memories.

I think this is what made me think you meant "elderly.

Our toddler, and us, were distrought. Then 2 weeks later someone 3 streets down said her elderly neighbours opposite had a new black cat. I rushed there, knocked at the door and explained the whole story

have to laugh at the idea that being the age many of us are is or is not "elderly"!
Of course "elderly" is always at least a decade older than one is oneself, but I fear late 60's or 70's would count as " elderly " with anybody a couple of decades younger.
Got to live with it though

I would love to let this go, but surely you realise the difference between fur colour and race?
On your basis, this whole thread is "racist" when it was designed to be be a bit of harmless fun and a chat.

Thus isn't a diversion, it's a derailment.
[sidestep] emoticon time for a

How does one define the race of a cat? .............(still scratching head in confusion.....)

As children, we were adopted by a male tabby cat, part ferral I think. He used to take himself off for two or three days at a time in the summer. We never knew where he went, but it was his downfall eventually. He arrived home in a dreadful state after one of these adventures. Shaking and foaming at the mouth. The vet made a house call and reckoned that he had been poisoned, probably with rat poison. He tried to treat him, to no avail, and had to euthanase him. My lovely grandad buried him in the garden for us.
On a happier note, when my DD got married she acquired two kittens. A brother and sister. The boy is grey, with beautiful markings and the girl is a tabby with an unusual two tone face, half dark brown and half ginger. They are nine years old now, and live with four lively children. They are very long suffering, and patient. Lovely cats.

well, to steal someone's cat, knowing that its family was distraught and looking everywhere for it- as they had clearly been told- and then saying they only wanted THAT one for its colour- did seem to discriminate solely on colour, so ...what do you call this, if not the r word?

They KNEW exactly what they were doing- and not so elderly either- probably the age we are now.

The snake's called Alan or Geoff....something like that.

I know someone who has a red pet snake. It's meals (defrosted mice) are kept in the freezer.

Sharing the love? (And getting 2 dinners at the same time!)

Think it is often the case that an out door cat may have more than one billet. just hedging their bets!

Can we get back to the contentious issue of favourite colours for small animals? (Without claiming any sort of OP's rights) please?

Perhaps we need a 'sidestep' emoticon too?

<still shaking head>

Is this what soontobe meant by "diversion"?

But hardly racist!

I can assure you that all our neighbours were totally on our side, and so was theirs- as they were really strange and unfriendly people- horrible to their children. No remorse there.

The point being, that they had found the cat and removed the collar with its address on- and when very politely asked if they had found a little black cat- totally refused to let me see him to ensure it was not the one we had lost a few days before. It was clear by the way they were behaving that something was up. Their neighbour had told them about us desperately looking for the cat, and had given our address and phone number- they did not call however.

And the reaction of the cat made it VERY clear he was our Thomas, as was the little patch of white on the side of his throat- there was NO doubt whatsoever, and they had NO right to keep him.

As said, I did offer to find another kitten for them- but they reaction 'oh we've been trying for 2 years to find a black kitten to replace the one that died- but we can never find a black one' is what truly angered me. A kitten that needs a good home is a kitten- and so yes, their attitude was totally wrong.