Comments on: Blackie, The Last Spitalfields Market Cat

By: Andi Hall

Andi Hall — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 15:03:47 +0000

Thanks for the great story, I agree it would make a great children’s story.
Just curious about the suggestion that cats were domesticated before dogs? Where did you get that from? Most of my sources suggest it was dogs?

By: Mathilde Grange

Mathilde Grange — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 14:00:18 +0000

If I may, I’d like to to thank Christine Swan for Sammy’s and Mousey’s story, the mouse who dared face a cat.

By: Lynne Perrella

Lynne Perrella — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 13:12:10 +0000

Stating the obvious, it would be marvelous if one of your incredible, uniquely-British illustrators would turn this story into a children’s book. It would educate everyone about the history of the markets, as well as telling the story of Blackie. Oh, wait — Perhaps it could be a future publishing endeavor for Spitalfields Life Books? Just saying……….

Nowadays, our two cats Simon and Stringer Bell, are strictly indoor cats — and we are relieved about that. But that doesn’t mean that they are not constantly on the watch for some unsuspecting mouse who might wander indoors. Oh dear. On those occasions, there is a great uproar, with
chasing, cornering, back-and-forthing, low growling, furniture tipping, and an occasional lamp crashing. A small body is left on the dining room rug. The cats resume their napping. John and I are left to “dispose” of the body. Well, actually, John does that.

By: Christine Swan

Christine Swan — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 06:42:42 +0000

I do love a good cat story and you tell them so well. We have had a succession of cats, all of which have been rescued. One old gentleman lived to be twenty two and was the oldest cat on our local vet’s books. He too was a prolific mouser.
We have a family of field mice that have lived in the garden, under a hedge, for mouse generations. Unlucky victims have been brought into the house. They have sometimes escaped – but they don’t last long. I can recall dismantling the living room to retrieve a mouse, to liberate it under the hedge. On another occasion, on hearing a noise, I discovered a mouse, standing on its haunches, ready to fight Sammy, the oldest cat who ever lived, and by that time, had very few teeth. I rescued this mouse too.
Mousey, as he became known, had a broken foot, and initially, dragged it behind himself. The vet advised that it may require amputation if the blood supply was damaged. Fortunately, he did regain some movement in it and his movements became quicker again and more skittish. By that time, he had become quite tame. We had Mousey for a further two years. In his old age, he survived a chest infection with a course of antibiotics ( yes, I had no idea either), but eventually, succumbed to old age. He was an adult when he was rescued so must have been at least three. His favourite foods were strawberries and Brazil nuts. He lived out his days in splendour and taught me a great deal about the lives of these little creatures. He was the mouse who took on a cat and lived to tell the tale.