Brenda was used to having dogs, but when her life circumstances meant she couldn’t care for one, she decided to adopt a cat instead, as Brenda explained to GeoBeatAnimals:
“If you would have asked me five years ago that I was going to end up with not one but two cats, I would have laughed because I’ve always had dogs.”
She went to her local shelter and asked them to let her see the most rejected cat, the cat that was struggling to get adopted out.
Instead of one, the shelter showed her two cats who were bonded brothers, which meant they couldn’t be separated.
The reason the two brothers hadn’t been adopted was that they were black, and black cats tend to have a harder time getting adopted.
Superstition
According to the shelter, no one wanted to adopt the two brothers because of their color.
Despite their beautiful glossy black coats, people were wary of black cats because of superstition; ideas about bad luck if they cross your path, and that they are somehow evil.
These are just myths, cats are cats.
Historically and throughout various cultures black cats have been thought to bring different fortunes; ancient Egypt revered cats of all colors and in areas of Northern Europe and Japan owning a black cat is said to bring good luck.
Brenda agrees that owning black cats brings good fortune because after adopting the two black brothers, Bart and Milhouse, her life has improved exponentially.
Mama’s boys
Bart turned out to be quite the ‘mama’s boy’, from day one he would jump up on Brenda’s lap and even began to play fetch with her!
Although Bart is the more energetic of the two, Milhouse is a certified love bug and adores getting lots of pets and cuddles.
Brenda says that both Bart and Milhouse are so well behaved that anyone who comes to visit her ends up leaving wanting a cat!
The brothers don’t scratch her furniture, and she has never heard them hiss or act aggressively toward people despite being born on the streets.
The two of them also love endearingly chirping at birds outside their window.
Bart and Milhouse show how beautiful and sweet cats can be, no matter the color of their coats.