Persian cat: Black color

Angel of luck or devil incarnate?

For today there are about hundred of cats' breeds. Most part of them are accepted by all phelinological organizations of wold, and many still wait for their recognition. Inside of every breed cat are distinguished, having the same color and eye color corresponding to it. The special place among the brilliant rainbow of colors is taken by the classic black color.

Black cat causes immediate reaction - either love or hatred. Some people think that such cats bring a luck, others, on the contrary, think that black cats are incarnation of evil powers. But, away predjudices, black cat is rather attractive creature, loving, emotional, sociable. They have funny temper, are able to stand up for themselves and know their place in life perfectly. Intension of pigment change defines high level of protective substances in the organism what is conductive to strong health and high immunity against bugs. In the majority black cats are active, but not agresive. They were considered to be the best hunters for mouses and rats in all times, even in the city flat they will give no peace to flies and cockroaches.

Black color in Persian and British breed is considered to be the oldest variety. On the first big exhibition of cats in London in 1871 they were written as about '....being much in demand and being tho most difficult to get.' Really, there are few among outbred cats (domestic cats) can boast with ideally black coat. You can often meet cats with shirt-front, white whiskers and funny white boots. Why is it so?

Ancestor of black cats were exported by ancient Phoenicians from Egypt, where they were kept as temple animals. During the wanderings the popularity of black cats have increased a lot, because owing to their camouflage they are practically unnoticable at the night and with amazing efficacy cought the rodents. At the middle ages the populations of black cats were persecuted. Indeed: brilliant black hair, eyes luminous in the darkness, night sallies - isn't it sign of the connection with black powers? It was considered that exactly black animals had a right to be present witches' sabbaths, and witches in the case of necessity took a look of black cats. Christian church faggoted peaceful old women, having had a misfortune to choose black cat as a companion, and even made annual burning of black cats alive in St. John's day. But, to the eager ministers' of religion mind, servants of devil must be absolutely black. Any white hair was interpreted as saving divine sign for cat. In that way religion changed the way of natural selection.

In XVII century, when followings began to come to naught, black cats were stroken with new danger: popular belief, that they were a unique remedy against a lot of diseases and illnesses, gathered a power. For example, the tail of black cat, burried in the ground under the house's threshold, as if protect all members of family from worsening of health and accidents. Edward Topsell, English naturalist, in 1658 have been writtenthat for the medical treatment of blindness it is necessary to prepare potion made of black cat's head. So, medical charlatanism came instead of religion terror. Is it worth to surprise that for today the majority of black cats has white patches, trusty method from human stupidity.

Now, fortunately, the only one heritage of dark period in the history of cats, com,ing to our days, is an omen about cat crossing the way. Cases are known, when even police patrol was afraid of crossing the stree, which were run over by black cat. But sometimes the sense changes right up to the contrary. On the East it is considered that black cat treats any diseases and helps in fishing by his touch. In Great Britain cat crossing the way brings the luck. This superstition has several roots: first went back to Ancient Egypt to the temple cats as if having the straight contact with gods. The other one went back to the middleaged popular belief: if your way was crossed by a black cat and you didn't suffer from it, that meant you are lucky. From here is accosiation between cat and luck. That's why if the black cat run into your house and met a warm welcome, instead you would get lucky and favour of his master - Satan. Others can hurt from him, but not you. The third source is more earthy. The old English proverb says: 'if there is a black cat in the house, there is always love in it', i. e. house is considered to be a place, where any female will be in man's good graces.

Prejudices take a deep roots in the people's hearts. So, English king Charls I had a black cat, who as he thought salutary influenced on his fate. He was so afraid of losing favourite animal, that he made the guard to watch her. But someday the cat died. 'I will have not happiness any more'- the king cried. The next day he was arrested and in a few days he was cut off his head.

In Egypt the magic powers were arrogated to black cats. For the centuries this statement doesn't change. And in our days many of energy therapeutists recommend to keep a black cat in the house: having the high energy black cats willingly communicate with hypertensive patients, taking the excess of negative energy. They especially like to sleep on the chest or head of the owner, that can be prescribe like a medicine: 10-15 minutes before sleeping will take away the pain and tiredness.

The peculiarity of black cats to make a unique comfort in the house makes them indispensable fellow traveller of sailors. Little, tidy hunters for rodents, especially attractive for sailors because of their mysterious habbits became the ideal animals for ships. The first black cat, which as if could betoken a storm, foretell the weather and helped to avoid many dangers, swimmed in America on the Columb's ship. Even in our days many sailors believe that cat always sleeps at that board, which is facing to home.

Why black color has such a unique shine and charm? What is this color interesting for the owner by and how to work with it right?

Black color of hair on one level with red is considered to be basic. Pigment melanin in black color is eumelanin, in red color is pheomelanin. All the rest varied colors (except white) are only derivatives from these two. Black color of hair is formed under the influence of gene B - black, defining full chromogenesis. Pigment is equally assigned to the axis of a hair from the root till the tip. A hair is strong, horn cells join to each other closely, that's why the hair of black hair is always brilliant, alive, looks like color of crow's wing. The color of undercoat and integumentary hair in adult animals practically doesn't differ, and in kittens formation of the color goes through the grey or brown overcolor. The grey overcolor of hair is preferred. It is considered that these kittens will have thicker and brighter hair in adult age than brown will have. Final formation of a color in shorthaired happens by 12-15 months, in longhaired - by 1,5-2 years.

In oriental (eastern) cats black, with special, precious play color is called by special word 'ebonite' (black tree). The hair is short, closely join to the body, tender by touch. The green eyecolor corresponds to this color.

British cat's undercoat has one length with top hair, that's why black tone becomes deep, velvet, absorbing the light, like soot. Eye color of black Britain is from orange till nut, bright tones are preferred.

Longhaired Persians - Exots' top hair is alittle bit longer rhan undercoat, hair is very soft by touch, owing to what black fur has a unique shine. Adult Persian's hair is of equal, crow's wing tone, very fluffed up. As top hair is strong, it serves as a great support to the tender, thick undercoat. Black Persian's hair practically never join, and contrast of white coat with orange eyes forms a rich look to these animals. Hairs of white or blue color is considered to be a defect of the color. If on critical points - on the chest, underarmpits, on the stomach - is at least several white hair ( hair bulb), this animal will not be allowed to the breeding as carrier of gene of white spotteness. Gene B - black of black color is prepotent, and behind it the row of recessive genes can be hidden:

" gene whitener , that gives an opportunity of receiving blue colored kittens from given sire;
" gene b, of chocolate color, giving an opportunity of receiving kittens of chocolate, and by combination with gene-whitener lilac color from given sire;
" gene of Siamese color, interesting by possibility of receiving posterity with siamese marks, including blue, chocolate and lilac colors ( at the presence of genes of whitening and chocolate color at the same time).
Presence of given genes can be defined, learned the pedigree of sire or in practice, selecting partners with known genetics. But for color of posterity to be close to ideal, it is necessary to keep to the rule - to pair similar with similar. It is able to gain to the great results, chose to black cat in pair a cat of black, red, sill-point, black tabby or white color (having a pedigree with black ancestry).

Very often animals of black color, especially in extreme breeds, are the carriers of strong type, that's why they are used as improvers in the breeding of animals of Point (Siamese), Smoke color, Bicolors and even Chinchillas. But such experiments are not recommended for beginner owners not to harm the breed.

Beginner owners can be interested in the table of colors of posterity of black animals with partners of different colors.

where:
n - black color;
a - blue color;
b - chocoloate color;
c - lilac color;
f - tortoiseshell color

g - blue tortoiseshell;
h- chocolate tortoiseshell;
j - lilac tortoiseshell

In brackets carriage of colors is marked. If your animal is not a carrier of given color, delete those absent.

Unfortunately, ideal black color under the influence of moisture, sun rays, various chemical agents, containing in saliva, urine and other charges of organism, easily transforms into fulvous brown, especially in longhaired animals. You can often see Persians with brown spots on leggs, chest, chin, and shorthaired can fade almost till red in hot summer. In this case the color of nasal mirror and aroliums ( chocolate animals in contrast to black have nose and pads are of milky chocolate color) serves as the criterion of belonging to color. The presence of spots on the lobe of the nose, edging of eyes, lips and aloriums is evidence of variance of visible color to laying in the genotype. But in old animals more light spots on the mucouses is evidence of age changes only.

Washing for black cats, especially with special shampoos, making the color of hair brighter, is considered to be particulary useful. Owing to it the hair becomes tenderer, grey, moribund hairs are combed out more easily. The shine of hair to the shorthaired is made with the help of chamois mitten and various sprays. For longhaired conditioners based on algae and antistatic sprays including color, are used. You need to use dry shampoo or powder of black color very carefully, for the hair not to lose the shine and border of finished area was not noticeable. It has to subject young animals to trimming (plucking) to hasten the change of hair. Also you need to remove single hairs with the help of tweezers before the exhibition.

But still the right nutrition lays at the heart of qulitative color - in the addition to the balanced ration you need to add several drops of betacarotine and 3-4 pills with algae every day.

Black cat, who are you? Angel of luck or devil incarnate? Whoever you are, you are always will be the most favourite, tender and necessary being...