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There’s a subreddit dedicated to “pirate kitties” and we’re totally obsessed

Mary Johnson
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Here at PawTracks, we believe all cats are adorable and deserving of a loving forever home. Every year, roughly 3.2 million cats enter animal shelters in the United States. Tragically, 860,000 of those cats will be euthanized to make space for new arrivals.

But there’s some good news too. Around 2.1 million cats are adopted from shelters each year. However, some cats are less likely to be adopted than others. Solid white cats, solid black cats, and “imperfect” cats—those that are missing eyes or limbs—are all more likely to be left behind in shelters. But a viral post about pirate kitties on the appropriately named subreddit /r/piratekitties could soon change that. 

A one-eyed cat dressed as a pirate.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Meet the pirate kitties of Reddit

Reddit user u/yaystripeysocks recently uploaded a photo of their precious kitty, Zacky, a Creamsicle-colored cat who is missing one eye. Dressed as the Dread Pirate Roberts (well, the Dread Pirate Zacky), this feisty feline wore a costume clearly inspired by the cult classic film The Princess Bride. (You can see Zacky in the photo above.)  Zacky’s hat features fish skeletons in the shape of the classic skull and crossbones that have become synonymous with pirates. With 100% upvotes—Reddit’s version of an Instagram like—it’s clear that Dread Pirate Zacky is a hit. We hope Zacky (and Zacky’s pet parents) had the happiest of Halloweens. 

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Proving that matching Halloween costumes are the way to go next year, another user, u/MrMeow8, shared a photo of his one-eyed orange tabby, Captain Jack (pictured below), dressed as his namesake. As you can see, Mr. Meow is also dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow. While Mr. Meow certainly does the costume justice, the feline Captain Jack is the one who really caught our eye. We wish them both the very best. 

A man and his cat both dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It wouldn’t be Halloween without a special appearance from everyone’s favorite vampire: Dracula. According to u/Worried_Fig00, this solid-black kitty celebrated his very first “gotcha day” on Halloween. Dracula (seen below) may not be dressed as a pirate, but this charming, one-eyed fellow doesn’t need a fancy hat to look adorably rakish. (The fact that he’s sticking his tongue out at the camera only adds to his devious appeal.) Happy “gotcha day,” pirate Dracula. Thank your human for sharing you with the world. 

Why you should consider adopting a pirate cat

If you’ve fallen in love with these one-eyed pirate cats as much as we have, you may want to consider adopting one the next time you visit a shelter. Contrary to what many people think, one-eyed cats don’t need that much special attention, just a few simple accommodations. While cats ordinarily have better depth perception than their pet parents, one-eyed cats tend to lack that depth perception. To help your one-eyed kitty, keep her indoors and make sure you leave her food, water bowl, and toys on the floor where she can easily access them.

Similarly, three-legged cats are able to adapt to the loss of a limb after a brief adjustment period. Although they may walk, run, and climb more slowly than most cats, they adapt to life on three legs exceptionally well.

A one-eyed black cat sticks out his tongue.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

All kitties deserve love

Pirate cats are just like other cats: they have their own distinct personalities, and they quickly become beloved members of the family. Don’t let one of these sweet fur babies walk the plank just because they’re a little different.

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Mary Johnson
Mary Johnson
Contributor
Mary Johnson is a writer and photographer from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her work has been published in PawTracks and…
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