Younmight think that black cats would be especially popular at this timenof year—what with Halloween only a few days away—but apparentlynblack cats are more likely than any other cat to languish in annanimal shelter rather than being adopted…and eventually to be putnto sleep, unwanted and unloved.
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n(Andnall cats are more likely to be put to sleep than dogs.)
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Unwantedncats is a big problem, and of course it’s not a simple problem. Manynpeople are allergic to cats, cannot afford to have a pet, don’t haventime for a pet, or already have pets. It’s not at all practical tonjust tell everyone, “Please, go adopt a cat!” (Although, if you do want to adopt a cat, you might consider getting a black one!) Instead, we have tonurge people who already have cats to get them “fixed” so theyndon’t have babies and to outfit their cats with ID tags so that, ifnthey get lost, the cats and owners can be reunited.
Unwantedncats is a big problem, and of course it’s not a simple problem. Manynpeople are allergic to cats, cannot afford to have a pet, don’t haventime for a pet, or already have pets. It’s not at all practical tonjust tell everyone, “Please, go adopt a cat!” (Although, if you do want to adopt a cat, you might consider getting a black one!) Instead, we have tonurge people who already have cats to get them “fixed” so theyndon’t have babies and to outfit their cats with ID tags so that, ifnthey get lost, the cats and owners can be reunited.n
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nCelebratencats!
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Catsnwere apparently first domesticated (tamed) in thenMiddle-East/Egyptian area about ten thousand years ago. AncientnEgyptians had a religion that worshipped animals, including cats, andnhad a cat goddess named Bast. Cats were often portrayed in Egyptian statuesnand painted murals, and they were often pictured wearing jewelry. Somencats even rated the time-consuming and expensive mummification process after they died.
Catsnwere apparently first domesticated (tamed) in thenMiddle-East/Egyptian area about ten thousand years ago. AncientnEgyptians had a religion that worshipped animals, including cats, andnhad a cat goddess named Bast. Cats were often portrayed in Egyptian statuesnand painted murals, and they were often pictured wearing jewelry. Somencats even rated the time-consuming and expensive mummification process after they died.n
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nSomencultures have viewed cats, especially black cats, as a sign of bad lucknor even evil. (This explains why fewer black cats are adopted.)nHowever, in Japan and Russia, cats have traditionally been associated with goodnluck. n
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Nowadays,nthere are more than 86 million pet cats in the U.S. alone, with aboutnone third of all U.S. homes having at least one pet cat! Estimates ofnworldwide pet cats number 500 million—the most in the U.S., andnthen China (more than 50 million), Russia and Brazil (dropping tonjust 12 million each), France and Italy (9 million each). You can seenthe top 10 cat countries here.
Nowadays,nthere are more than 86 million pet cats in the U.S. alone, with aboutnone third of all U.S. homes having at least one pet cat! Estimates ofnworldwide pet cats number 500 million—the most in the U.S., andnthen China (more than 50 million), Russia and Brazil (dropping tonjust 12 million each), France and Italy (9 million each). You can seenthe top 10 cat countries here. n
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nCatsnhave made a big, big hit somewhere near and dear to our hearts: theninternet! From cat posters to cat videos, from LOLcats who can’tnspell to Ceiling Cat who rules over all, cats are and always havenbeen the prevalent species online. The internet is so full of catsnthat Google, trying to build a computer brain that can learn on itsnown, ended up with a machine that can recognize cats!
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nHerenare some possible reasons why cats are so popular.
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| LOL Cats are notoriously bad at spelling and grammar! |
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nLOLCatsnfeatures funny cat posters.
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| “Surprised Kitty” is a video that went viral. |
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nHere are some of the most-watched cat and kitten videos.
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nAlsonon this date:
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Creole Day in Dominica
Creole Day in Dominica n
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nFossil hunter and “Bone-Wars” participant Othniel Marsh’s birthday
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