Our dear Blackie, sweet female mother cat, was knocked down by a car last Tuesday, just one week after we lost dear little Binks. Blackie was our beautiful all-black female cat. She delivered her last litter some time in December and disappeared for some time, only reappearing a few weeks ago. At which point, we started feeding her a little more to keep up her strength. But she did not trust us enough to bring her kittens over to us. Neither were we certain whether her kittens were still surviving, especially after the heavy rains. Whilst her teats were still full, we often saw the kittens from her last litter (Winks, and previously Binks) still sucking noisily away.
Blackie was never good at crossing roads. She tended to get nervous and distracted, particularly when the dogs next door barked or when car headlights shone at her. She would freeze and my mother has seen cars stopping or slowing down so as not to hit her. But at night, when the road is dimly lit, it is difficult to see a black cat crossing the road. So it is not surprising that this was how she met her end. But we will remember how she used to stretch out on our doormat, and sharpen her claws against its rough surface. And how affectionate she was, and the way she rubbed her head and body around our ankles when we appeared at the door. And the way she slept curled up next to Sootie, on top of the cat cage just outside our front door.
Bye bye Blackie.
One of my last photos of Blackie. Her teats are visible just behind her front paws.
I'm very sorry for your loss. It looks like the main hazard for cats in an urban environment is traffic. And it looks like their mortality rate is quite high. Heart wrenching for you.
ReplyDeleteThat's a sad loss. I've never been much of a cat person (I'm a serial canine owner) but your blog truly strikes a chord. RIP Blackie!
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