Comments on: The Last Spitalfields Market Cat

By: Garry

Garry — Thu, 11 May 2017 00:52:06 +0000

Wonderful story. I have fed a feral cat we called Blackie for the last ten or so years, can’t get near her for fear of being scratched by her razor like claws but she turns up for food. I’m not sure what a actually get in return for this deal but still… Sadly she has gone awol and not for the first time but I live in hope she will be back but perhaps fear the worst this time.

By: Elizabeth Fox

Elizabeth Fox — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 22:50:33 +0000

Thanks for this wonderful account of a working cat!

By: Robert Davies

Robert Davies — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 10:46:10 +0000

Crikey, I haven’t seen the (Gun St ) photo for years, I took it late one night , I didn’t know it had survived, although I remember lending the original to Jim a long time ago.
Thanks for publishing , a great article.

By: gkbowood

gkbowood — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 17:49:52 +0000

Our cat Beba was an outdoor cat all of her 20 years! She too was black but a long hair. She would only just tolerate a little petting then would hiss and move out reach-Enough of THAT!! We miss her fiesty attitude.

By: dave whittaker

dave whittaker — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 15:29:51 +0000

Great story…Thank You.

By: John Barrett

John Barrett — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 11:49:41 +0000

A lovely piece Blackie the last of super~raters at the old Spitalfields Market, he deserves the PDSA Dickins medal posthumously for outstanding duty to the stall holders. He was always on the attack, his rat kill rate from the evidence was very high which must have pleased the market staff. I would like to mention another super ratting cat who was awarded the Dickins medal (read about it on the Web) . He was AB cat Simon of HMS Amethyst, this award was given for gallantry, outstanding ratting and was wounded in action on the Yangtse river incident China in 1949. He is buried at PDSA cemetery Ilford.

By: gioconda

gioconda — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 11:36:43 +0000

Who could forget a great cat like Blackie? “Like a dark hole in the world” is a memorable way to describe a cat so black she’d disappear into the shadows every time she blinked. A loving tribute to an independent soul!
Thanks so much!

By: Hilda Kean

Hilda Kean — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 09:44:56 +0000

While the mythic cat in the Dick Whittington print appears to be a mix of white and tabby , the real cats you describe and photograph are black. Sadly nowadays black cats are often the last to be adopted from sanctuaries etc not because of ideas of bad luck but because they apparently look bad in selfies… Such lovely animals – even stroppy ones like Blackie – do not deserve such poor treatment from humans.

By: Valerie-Jael

Valerie-Jael — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 06:07:32 +0000

What a great cat Blackie was! Love this tribute to her skills. Valerie