Chicago Cat Rescue's Sexy Black Benefit Brings Light To The Plight Of Black Cats And Dogs
By Katie Karpowicz in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 20, 2014 8:00PM
Chicago Cat Rescue celebrates its sixth annual Sexy Black Benefit this Saturday. The event seeks to raise awareness and funds for local animals affected by what has come to be known as "Black Cat/Black Dog Syndrome." According to CCR, black cats are two-thirds less likely to be adopted than their white counterparts and black dogs face similar struggles when it comes to finding a permanent home. With the odds stacked against them like that, these animals need all the extra help and attention they can get!
The Sexy Black Event (which will be held at 1133 W. Fulton) combines drinks, food, music from local DJ collective The Fuzzbox, dancing and fun to help celebrate our darkly-colored, four-legged friends in need. We hear there will even be black Jell-O shots! Although what exactly goes into a black Jell-O shot is yet to be determined.
When Chicagoist first heard about this event, we were surprised to learn what a widespread and overlooked problem Black Cat/Black Dog Syndrome really is, so we decided to call up Chicago Cat Rescue co-founder Julie Adams and learn more about what black cats and dogs face when they're put up for adoption.
Chicagoist: Hi, Julie. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. For people who have no idea, can you explain what black cat and black dog syndrome is?
Julie Adams: Well black cat/black dog syndrome, which is what rescue groups and shelters have kind of termed it, is something that everyone in rescue work experiences. It's basically a challenge that black cats and dogs face with getting adopted. Black cats across the board experience a low adoption rate and because they do not get adopted as easily and as quickly as other colored and patterned cats, they experience higher euthanasia rates. We just want potential adopters to realize that as they come into adopt a pet that they might want to take an extra few minutes to seek out the black pets and really bond with them, because they might be the perfect pet for them. They just might be lurking in the shadows of the shelter because of their dark complexion.
C: I was surprised when I was researching this issue before our conversation. I knew black cats have a superstitious stigma to them but also it has to do with lighting and the fact that these animals just aren't as visible?
Julie Adams: Exactly. These days, there are [adoptable] animals that are in a shelter environment and then there are the animals like Chicago Cat Rescue's cats. All of our pets are in foster homes so we rely on amazing photos to capture people's attention on our various websites that we adopt through. So when you think about photographing a black animal in general it can be challenging to get a great photo because the light needs to be good and it's hard getting their features to appear defined. That's common for both cats and dogs that are black. Then in a shelter environment, as you're walking around looking at the many, many animals up for adoption, if they're in a cage the black animals will visually recede.
It's also very superstitious-based like you mentioned. There are a lot of people who are still superstitious about black cats. A lot of people will go into a shelter and not even look at the black cats even though they're equally amazing. So cats have a double stigma but [the syndrome] affects dogs as much as cats. In fact, I know a few people involved in rabbit rescue work and more and more we're noticing that other black animals outside of cats and dogs are starting to face the same challenges.
C: As a black cat owner, this information is pretty sad to hear.
Julie Adams: It is. Six years ago when we started this event we were so frustrated by it. We rescued black cats. We weren't going to turn away a cat in need because of its color. We usually kind of seek out the ones that everyone seems to leave behind—the black ones, the older ones, the ones with some special needs. When we would rescue black cats it was amazing how much longer they'd stay in our program compared to other ones. We'd get almost no inquiries online about the black cats when we were getting lots about the other ones. It just became very frustrating and sad and that's essentially what inspired us to do this event, just do raise some awareness. And the support behind this has been amazing.
C: That's great news! Now, just for the record, I know this and you know this but just so everyone else knows it: There is nothing that makes a black cat a worse pet than say a white or a tabby cat, correct?
Julie Adams: Nope, there's absolutely no difference. Every cat in general is so unique in their personality. Dogs as well. The personality really has no correlation to their color.
C: Have you seen a lot of success with this Sexy Black event over the years? Do more local adopters seem to know that to be true?
Julie Adams: I've actually experienced a difference just promoting the event now from when I did six years ago. I'll walk in[to a business] to ask if I can leave fliers and people have heard of the event and know about the challenge these pets face. Little by little there's definitely been some progress being made with the awareness campaign. What's really great is that at Chicago Cat Rescue—I can't speak for other rescue groups—when we rescue a black cat now, they seem to get adopted a heck of a lot faster than they did six years ago. We rescued a black cat a couple of months ago and within two weeks he was adopted which is amazing. Usually they can sit for up to months at a time before someone emails and wants to meet them. We also seem to get more emails and calls about people seeking black cats out which is very cool.
The Chicago Cat Rescue's Sexy Black Benefit begins this Saturday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. All proceeds will go to Chicago Cat Rescue. Tickets are $25 in advance ($30 at the door) and include one complimentary drink, a keepsake framed photo from the Sexy Black Photo Booth, heavy apps and that warm, fuzzy feeling of knowing you helped out an animal in search of its forever home.