Black Tart & her Teenies:

A couple of weeks after Mamma had her Itty 2’s, Black Tart had four babies. I found two of them down between the cat run and the verandah crying out very loudly with no mother cat around. I rescued them and put them out under shade but she wouldn’t take them. We tried to hand rear them but they didn’t make it sadly. Several days later I counted more kittens than expected in the yard and discovered Black Tart had another two stashed under the ramp.

By this time I had ten cats and kittens living in my yard. They all sat peering in the windows and doors. Having Fami and Zeus inside I really didn’t want any more inside cats but hoped to re-home the kittens.

Both Mamma and Black Tart were exceptional mothers, very protective of their brood. I only named one of Black Tart’s kitties which was Tyger. I never named the other one, but looking back today at all the photos and videos, it was a doppelgänger for a later kitty.

So we now had Mamma and her three pure black Itties, Black Tart (named for becoming a mum) BT (Black Tart’s protector as he was always close by her), and Jasper. Then there was Tuxie and Fluffy Butt who had developed a magnificent tail. Little Blue and White Lip were still here at this stage.

Jasper took to climbing on top of the cat run bridge to get a little peace away from all the others.

Here we see him telling Zeus all about it.

At first I had a crate for them but there wasn’t enough room for them all, so I bought a tea chest and put rugs in them. After they outgrew these I bought a huge crate and put about 20 rugs in it for them and that is still in use today.

Needless to say they all laughed at my efforts to trap them.

Farewell Black Tart and family:

That was until one of Black Tart’s kitties got into the trap and Black Tart went in after her, setting it off. Poor little Tyger was running around and around the trap crying, wanting to get to her mother and sibling. The lovely lady at the local shelter came and we were able to put little Tyger in with them, then she took them away to be de-sexed and re-homed. I was so sad to see them go, but at least they now had a chance at a furrever home.

BT misses Black Tart:

BT spent some time looking for Black Tart and became a bit of a wanderer. He injured himself at some point and has a limp when it is cold. In Winter he always comes back because he knows he has a warm bed and plenty of food. He stays until the weather warms  up again then leaves, returning every week or so for a night or two. Jasper never left the yard and hasn’t in four years.

This is the little unnamed of Black Tart’s Teeny Weenies. It is identical to Iomproidh who you will hear more of later.

I missed Black Tart and her babies after they were gone, but knew they would find new homes. BT was missed as well but he does come back from time to time.

Then Mamma became pregnant again!

To be continued: