Is there something about black cats?

[Dog Daze]

I am pet sitting for a 6 year old DSH cat named Commodore who will come to me and let me pet him for about 2 minutes and then swat and/or bite me and run off.

This is the exact same thing my black DSH cat named Destiny has been doing for years.

Do you think there is something in the genetic make-up in black kitties that gives them this personality trait?

None of my other kitties of any other color has ever done this.

[mylady]

My black cat Spook has never done that. I can do pretty much anything with him, including shaving stripes and coloring him funny LOL. He loves to have his belly rubbed and will let me pet him for hours if I wanted to. So I don't think it's the color.

[Lucy in the Sky]

maybe it is just the short haired ones, lol. My Dickens is the love of my life. He purrs so hard he drools. He is a long hair black cat, but his sister was shorthaired and was very temperamental and ran away shortly after her spay surgery. That was 13 years ago. The youngster siamese mix is the evilest cat I have ever known. When we cut her nails she growls and spits and hisses and tries to bite. Now, we have been doing this to her since she was 5 weeks old and she has always acted this way!

[Cat Crazy]

Nope, it's not a colour thing. I currently have 5 black cats in the house (3 fosters) and they are all super lovey kitties, that insist on being petted and snuggled and cuddled for HOURS at a time. I've had many black, and all other colour, cats stay with me over the years. I've had a few cats that were more cautious or reserved, and only one that was aggressive but I would say it's personality or upbringing rather than colour.

[Dog Daze]

My kitty has been that way since we found her abandoned in the parking lot at about 6-8 weeks old. Very temprmental and nasty when you do something she doesn't like (even putting a collar on).

She is also extremely hypervigilant and at times appears to be "seeing things" that aren't there. She will sneak up on blankets, towels and other things like they are out to get her and poke at them and if they shift she will jump feet in the air and run off.

She can be all nice and cuddly and beg for pets and then just hiss turn around nip you and run off and don't dare touch her once she gets in this mood or growl, spit hiss.

Ths kitty I'm watching isn't as bad as mine but seems as if he is also hypervigilant and always on edge.

[Canopener Sally]

My black cat is very sweet and gentle. He looks hateful and p.o'd most of time but I think he's just trying to maintain a reputation. He's never smacked or bitten me, not even in play. He is a grumpasaurus rex with the dogs. He'll smack the living sh*t out of them.

[Grinch]

My black cat doesn't do that, but my orange one does!

[Doubledogdare]

Years ago I had a black kitty. Soot was fabulous. No temper tantrums at all.

About the only thing she did that I found objectionable was the "Mouse for Mommy" routine. THAT I could live without.

[Lucy in the Sky]

Maybe it is just something about abandoned kitties. That is how my youngster is, we found her when she was about 4 weeks old.

[Cat Crazy]

Maybe it is just something about abandoned kitties. That is how my youngster is, we found her when she was about 4 weeks old.

Sorry, but I disagree with this statement. All of mine were abandoned/discarded cats and kittens - some as young as one day. I never play rough with kittens (or cats for that matter), but I will consistently, and gently, correct unwanted behaviour and redirect hyper kitty energy to appropriate toys. All of the kitties in the house welcome my attention and love belly rubs and cuddles. Of course, some of the cats are not interested in attention from visitors, but they do not swat or bite, even at the vet's office.

[Maltese_mama]

I have a blk and wht DSH and a solid blk DLH, female littermates. Both are skittish (the DLH is much worse), but they've never bitten. I attribute the skittishness to them being part Highland Lynx. My grey and white, male DSH will turn and bite out of the blue, while being loved on. I call them "love bites" b/c he honestly doesn't seem upset or angry when it happens. Booger did come from "the streets" and I wonder if maybe it's not a trait of semi-feral cats. He is my wild child, LOL! (My mom has another cat that was found as a kitten, in garage and she can be very moody. She usually hisses and growls, but no biting.) My other male also came from "the streets" and he is sweet as can be w/ people, but won't take any c**p from the other animals. My girls were raised in the house and loved from day one. (The came from a relatives oops litter.)

I've often wondered if Tabby cats have more personality and are loving. That's certainly been the case w/ the Tabbies I've known over the years. I've also found that males are more loving, but that's just from my own experience.

[rainingcats&dogs]

i found my short haired black kitty(may he r.ip)louie when he was a baby he lived to 15 and never gave us a problem always sweet and laid back died peacefully in his sleep i miss that black cat,and currently have 4 black cat fosters nothing unusual about them they are very sweet,now i love orange kitties and im owned by a very spoiled on named snappytom,hes my boy and from what i klnow of orange kitties they are just like redheads,sweet but have a very feisty side,like a lion

[Candee]

Black cat = basement cat = EVIL!!

[Helly]

Sorry, but I disagree with this statement. All of mine were abandoned/discarded cats and kittens - some as young as one day. I never play rough with kittens (or cats for that matter), but I will consistently, and gently, correct unwanted behaviour and redirect hyper kitty energy to appropriate toys. All of the kitties in the house welcome my attention and love belly rubs and cuddles. Of course, some of the cats are not interested in attention from visitors, but they do not swat or bite, even at the vet's office.

And I have to disagree with you. You obviously took the time to teach your babies manners. Many people don't even know they have to, much less know how to do it.

Just like puppies who learn manners from their mother and littermates, kittens need that socialization too. And if they don't get it, it must come from a human, or maybe a dog, or they do bite and swat.

[Helly]

I can't say I've noticed that black cats have a predispostion to being bad. Calicos and tortis, yes, but not so much other colors.

There's also a difference in temperament between the sexes. Surprisingly to some, a neutered tom is usually the most affectionate and laid back.

There's also the little problem of sexual stimulation. Some cats are very easily stimulated by petting, and the results is biting and swatting.