Are black cats: lucky, unlucky, haram, affectionate, rare or hypoallergenic?

Yes, yes, no, yes, no and no!

Black Peterbald cat. Pic is in the public domain.

Black cats have a special place in the cat world as they are the subject of continuing and detrimental superstition going all the way back to the Middle Ages many hundreds of years ago. It is this illogical superstition unsupported by science and good sense but supported by fear of the unknown which leads to the great spectrum of beliefs that black cats bring good or bad luck in equal measure!

Lucky or unlucky?

It depends where you live and your particular beliefs. Take your pick. In general, black cats crossing your path brings bad luck but in some countries, it is good luck! Mad right?

RELATED: 15 facts about black cats bringing good luck.

Haram?

Haram means forbidden and black cats under the rules of the Koran are not haram. In short, if you are a Muslim you can own a black cat. Although some Islam teachers tell their followers that black cats can carry 'jinn' or bad spirits which can disrupt family life. I am afraid that this is more superstition and a variation on the devil lives inside black cats from the Middle Ages. It is rubbish.

I have a full article on this topic: CLICK HERE TO READ IT.

Affectionate?

Yes, black cats are affectionate like all domestic cats provided they are well socialised to people and are treated with kindness and respect.

Rare?

No, black cat are not rare. In fact, they are commonplace among the pantheon of cat coat colours and patterns. FYI - grey cats are black cats carrying the dilution gene.

Hypoallergenic?

No, all domestic cats have the allergen called Fel D1 which is mainly in their saliva and which they deposit on their coat when grooming. It dries and flies off around the home. Don't believe the stories on the internet that some cat breeds e.g. the Siberian, are hypoallergenic meaning that they won't cause an allergic reaction. They will.

A dry cat food called Purina LiveClear is pretty effective in containing the allergen and preventing it causing an allergic reaction in people allergic to cats. Try it and tell me how it went in a comment please!

Are American Shorthair cats rare?

The American Shorthair cat is not rare in an absolute sense. It's a regular purebred cat born out of a standard American moggy. This cat breed is a refined American moggy which is great and it is a very good purebred cat suited to indoor living and good with kids. But it's impossible to consider the cat as being rare. 

American Shorthair - classic tabby. Photo copyright Helmi Flick.

That said, the meaning of the word "rare" is elastic. In terms of the overall number of domestic cats in America you might argue that the American Shorthair is quite rare. However, in an absolute sense it is not rare. You will see them in households around America.

You will not see cats of this breed probably in Europe that much whereas you will see the more popular and perhaps better known American cat breed, the Maine Coon, more frequently in Europe. So perhaps you might argue that the American Shorthair cat is relatively rare in Europe but much less so in America, the home of their origin.

As it happens, I have a very comprehensive page on how rare the cat breeds are. I wrote it many years ago but I made a big effort to be accurate and used various criteria to decide on the rarity of the breeds. If you click on this link you'll be taken to the conclusions of that page where there is a list of what I consider to be the rare cat breeds. 

Apparently the number one cat association in Britain, the GCCF, believe that the Sokoke is the rarest cat breed. It is within my list as well but there are others. Some of the breeds I've listed have been discontinued and therefore there may be no cats of these breeds left in the world. That happens sometimes: cat breeds die out and therefore the cats of the breed disappear eventually.

Bramble Cat

 

The Bramble cat - photo credit: Gary Bramlett.

The Bramble cat is named after the founder Gary Bramlett and for the reason that the coat is wiry. Just to be absolutely precise a bramble bush is a particular type of prickly shrub or bush which is difficult to negotiate if one is inclined to pick fruit from it. 

The term "bramble" would also seem to refer to the "wiry underbrush" (src: Designer Cat Association) found in bushes. The coat is not prickly but very nice to touch. This is a nice name.

 

Bramble cat - Photo: Gary Bramlett

The Bramble cat is registered with the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry (REFR). The picture above is from that registry.

Rare and Exotic Feline Registry's description

The Rare and Exotic Feline Registry tells us that this cat breed has a wire coat that is "similar to a wirehaired fox terrier dog". They confirm that the breeder used "influences from the Peterbald, Bengal, and a few other breeds".

The name originates in the short underbrush found, I guess, in Australia. This reflects the cat's wiry coat. The above-mentioned registry says that the coat does not shed. I would have to take issue with that because all domestic cat codes shed hair unless they have no coat at all such as the hairless cats.

The Bramble cat comes in any coat type and colour. At their character, they are said to have a strong personality and be people orientated. They've inherited some of the Bengal cat character apparently been described as "fearless". Although it is not clear that that this cat has any Bengal cat genes. 

They are slightly larger than the average domestic cat and more muscular. To me the Bramble looks like a regular domestic cat in size. There are some similarities to the American Wirehair.

This cat is said to be very agile and athletic. In terms of character, it will also mean that this cat is active and perhaps a little mischievous. 

Other sources

Other sources tell me that the Bramble cat has a wide range of coat types the most usual being a rosetted (cloud like spots) coat that is a ticked (broken appearance). The Abyssinian has the classic ticked coat. The Bengal has the classic rosetted spots (see Bengal cat coat). The American Wirehair has the classic wirehair coat. 

The breed was created at Gary Bramlett's cattery Magnoliachat Cattery. Gary was influenced by the Bengal (a very athletic cat with plenty of "bling"), the Peterbald (a cat with a sparse and very interesting coat that varies between hairless and a "brush") and other breeds, which have been incorporated into the breeding program.

Bramble cat - Photo: I have published this photograph without first seeking Gary Bramlett's permission. I very rarely do this. I have done it on this occasion for the sake of expediency and provided a link to Gary Bramlett's cattery in return. If anyone objects, please leave a comment and I'll remove the picture immediately. Update: see Gary's comment below - thanks Gary.

From Bramble cat to Mixed breed cats 

Sources:

• Gary Bramlett's website
• Messybeast
• The Designer Cat Association

Arctic Curl cat

The Turkish Angora cat if and when crossed with a Selkirk Rex results in the Arctic Curl. To the best of my knowledge and after a search there are no photos of this cat breed. Sorry. Visualise a handsome white cat - the Turkish Angora - with ears that curl back as seen in the American Curl. Correction: I think I have found one! :) Here she is:

Arctic Curl cat. Photo believed to be in the public domain.

The Arctic Curl is a proposed new cat breed and the word "curl" is not included in the name to describe curled ears as is the case for the established American Curl. The term "curl" for this cat relates to the hair and the curly cat coat comes from the Selkirk Rex, one of the Rex cats, the others are the Devon Rex and LaPerm. 

There are others but these are the main current cat breeds with curly hair. The LaPerm has either short or long curly hair.

As mentioned, the Arctic Curl is a cross between the Selkirk Rex and the Turkish Angora. The breeder who is proposing it is based in the UK, Tremarie Persians, Chinchillas and Selkirk Rex. 

The cattery owner, Penny Odell is aiming for a cat that looks like the Turkish Angora with slightly rounder eyes and the coat semi-long and curly.

Her preference is for white cat coats with blue eyes and this I presume is the reason why the cat is called an "Arctic Curl".

 

She is also interested in the shape of the ear and how that might develop by possibly incorporating the Balinese breed as an outcross. Of course, in due course a Standard of Points (the GCCF equivalent of the breed standard) will eventually have to be drafted. This I am guessing is quite a tricky task. 

Accicat

Ocicat photo by Helmi Flick

This word Accicat is very close to the word Ocicat, which it should be because they are the names of the same cat. The breed being the result of an accidental piece of breeding. I guess Accicat could be extended to Accidental cat. Ocicat as you might know comes from the wild cat name Ocelot. The Ocelot is a wild cat that is a little larger than a big domestic cat and mostly lives in South America. 

If you'd like to see more about the Accicat the cat that became the Ocicat (and see the best pictures probably anywhere - see for yourself), then click on the following link: Ocicat 

Shapira. Photo: @Starrlight

From Accicat to Home page