Another contentious issue

Maggiemaybe have you noticed the time on your post??

Oooo, spooky! The mark of the black cat!

We need a [kitten] emoticon, pleeeeeease GNHQ !

Any new emoticons would be nice really.

I'm allergic to cats.
Please can we have a dog one as well?

Puppies?? Grace would like a thread paying tribute to old dogs -puppies are cute, but you see true love in the eyes of an old dog

Our current cat, found with her black sistet and 10 kittens by the M1/M69 junction, in a taped box- is grey and white. About 17 now.

But I have a predilection for black cats. My favourite ever cat as a child was black- and so was the one we rescued from the hospital Heating system in Staffs, where we lived.

The whole thing did turn contentious though- he had a red collar, and disappeared one day. We searched and searched, put notices everywhere... nothing. 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. 'No, no he said- this cat is not black' - and wouldn't open the door properly. So I politely asked if I could see the cat, but he said 'no, absolutely not' - and I knew something was up. I'm afraid at this stage I pushed past him, and there was our Thomas fast asleep on the settee. He jumped up when he heard me and came straight to me- I picked him up and went.

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.

Oh dear, I thought this thread was"bombproof"

I agree rosesarered I was thinking about emoticons last night. Might be because I'm new to GN but you don't often see the roast chicken so I will use it now and say that as treat my cats love bit of apologies to vegetarian GNs but we could have leg of lamb or ham or even fish . Then theres our pets of course! Cat, dog Parrot? Yes the love and complete trust that an old dog bestows on you is like no other my father used to say "there no one more loyal than an Old Dog". Our pets give us so much and I think every child should have contact with animals to teach them how to love and respect them.

alea- I thought someone would say so- but, it is a very true strory- so seemed apt to tell it here ;) Thomas lived with us for 19 happy years- and was totally adored (and vice versa) by our 2 DDs.

Any new emoticons would be great - puppy and kitten ones would be a start, but what about a baby emoticon, or a baby bottle, something like that? We're always celebrating our GC on this site, so this would be well used!
I've often thought a grrrr emoticon would be good too, haha. Perhaps a face with parted lips and gritted teeth .

But it would have to different from the .....

Grrrrr sounds good. I often feel like that on here

My parents "adopted" (OK were adopted by,) an apparently stray cat when they were in their late 60's/70's whom they adored, and I just found it hard to imagine this poor elderly couple's feelings to have someone barge into their home, it would have been very frightening, and whisk away what they considered "their" little cat.
I am not sure many of us, certainly not the elderly in those days, had any concept of the word "racist" and to use it about a cat??

This was such a harmless, dare I say "nice" thread and about colour not in any way about "racism"

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.

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.

But hardly racist!

<still shaking head>

Is this what soontobe meant by "diversion"?

Perhaps we need a 'sidestep' emoticon too?

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

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

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

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

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

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.