By November, spring kittens were weaned and reasonably independent, leaving their mothers to reclaim their single lives, if they so wished.
The Cat genuinely seemed to enjoy motherhood, and she was never one to rush to wean her kittens or to push them away or force them to become independent before they felt ready. As an example, The Cat was still happy to spend time groooming Pedal and Sprocket, even when they were six months old and obviously perfectly able to groom themselves. And, when her days of mothering had passed, she was still often surrounded by her family, spending time with her grown-up offspring and their families (sometimes to comical effect), as these photos show.
The Cat grooming Sprocket while Pedal patiently waited his turn. Spending time together in a family group was not unusual, but to have the mother still grooming her young adult daughter and son was something that was not seen often.
Greyfur sleep-dancing while his mother slept, just close enough to be companionable, to know each other were there.
The Cat in later years, surrounded by her family on the water tank on the veranda. The Cat of course had first refusal on the prime spot at the back corner which was the most sheltered place.
L-R Flora, Pippin, Whitefur and Calypso. Whitefur and Flora were adult daughters of The Cat; Pippin and Calypso were Flora’s daughters.
In this comical moment, Flora’s kittens had piled into a waterproof box for a mid-morning nap, only for their grandmother to push her way in and join them, squeezing in with her grand-kittens. The photo was taken from the terrace above where all we could see was Dandy Grey’s rear, Checkers’ front, and The Cat’s derrière.
Family was inherently important to The Cat; words were not necessary for that to be obvious.
