the cats of dave & jill

Sooty

Before Jill and Dave lived together, Jill lived in a small village in Mid Suffolk and had always talked of getting a cat. One day she noticed that a mouse had made its home in the garage, so the decision was made. After a few enquiries, she went to see a little black cat which needed a home.

But there was a problem. The owner said there was not just one kitten, but two brothers who had always been together and she didn’t think they should be split up – so on New Year’s Day 1987 both Sooty and Smudge came to live with Jill.

They were not quite six months old but as we didn’t know their real birthday, we gave them the same day as Jill’s Grandma, 31st July (1986).
Sooty was smaller than his brother Smudge, completely black, and much more easy going; he would always be found behind Smudge, egging him on to some mischief or other!

After living happily with Jill for some 10 years or so, both Sooty and his brother Smudge were kidnapped by Dave and transported to Fieldfare as blackmail to persuade Jill to move there as well! Of course this worked a treat and they began a new life in West Suffolk, meeting cows at the bottom of the garden for the first time (very scary!)

Sooty loved everyone; he especially liked Pete, Timestep’s computer programmer, who would hold him at arm’s length because he dribbled a bit when he was happy! (Sooty that is, not Pete!) He had the loudest miaow we had ever heard and would begin as soon as he entered the cat flap, getting louder and louder until he found us. His favourite trick was to bring baby rabbits in through the catflap (we had to construct steps up to it because he was too small to get in normally!) carrying them like kittens without harming them at all. We always managed to rescue them and replace them under the hedge where they hopped off into the fields.

Sooty moved to Dartmouth with Dave and Jill in May 2001, by then he was quite an elderly boy and spent most of his time indoors. He started to get deaf and his miaow got even louder! But he could always tell that we had come home by the vibration of the front door and would come to greet us. Eventually though, his poor little heart got worn out and he died on 8th September 2003 aged 17. He is buried in the garden at Viewpoint under his favourite holly tree and catnip plant.

 

Sooty 2002 in Viewpoint Dartmouth

Sooty 2001 in Fairview Dartmouth

Sooty 1998 in Wickhambrook

Sooty 1997 in Wickhambrook

Sooty 1991 in Battisford