Another contentious issue

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.

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

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

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 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

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.

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

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

My 2 ragdolls, resting

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.....

Beware of irate owners forcibly repossessing your moggy though

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!

Musical cats?

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

Musical cats- I want one!!!

Is that racist or sexist or musicalist or something?

alea- are you really saying I shouldn't have 'repossessed' it- the story has not changed btw- they did remove the collar with the cat's name, address and tel. number- as they wanted a black cat and had been unable to get one! And you are trying to turn me into the 'baddie' in this story.
Come on, pull the other paw, please. This is silly.

The DGSs favourite book is 'Six dinner Sid'. Its about a black cat that 6 different people thought they owned hence the title. He had 6 names, meals, beds etc etc. Only busted when he got a cough and the vet recognised him after the 6th visit. Its beautifully illustrated. Somehow its a very recognisable situation.....

ahhh lovely, must get it for GD. However in this case there was no doubt- he had a collar with our all his detail- was only about 1 year and had been with us ever since he had been found in the grounds of the North Staffs hospital where DH had a room. And he had never been away for more than a couple of hours.

I think Alea is just warning me about the consequences of catnapping and the trouble I might get myself into. You gj are definitely the heroine here outwitting all us dodgy cat acquirers.
I remember Six Dinner Sid-lovely book!

and more importanty, never strayed again- he could easily have gone back there had he wanted to.

Like Galen I am allergic to cats and like Notso I don't much like them. They don't smile like a dog, they dig their claws into you and they c * * * in your garden not theirs or, like the new cat next door, on your lawn. - and they know if you don't like them and make a beeline for your lap [harrumph emoticon]

Marmight you've just met the wrong cats!

If the cat cap fits . . . . . .

Cats jolly well do smile! It is something I have always believed and was referred to on a tv documentary not long ago.

If you do a very slow blink, a cat that feels comfortable with you will do it back. That is the cat equivalent of smiling. Maurice was a great smiler, Oliver Sprout is too. Digby tends more towards looking perplexed.

I love dogs too, by the way!