Black Cat Appreciation Day homage to my beautiful black cat Starfire

Our beautiful black cat Starfire

I was already inclined to join the “Friday Cat-Blogging” trend, after the latest episode in which Starfire demonstrated her incredible intelligence -- but a post on Twitter from The Third Glance revealed to me that today is Black Cat Appreciation Day.

The Third Glance was promoting a blog about her black cat M.

The revelation clinched it, because my beautiful black cat Starfire certainly deserves to be celebrated.

Starfire has lived with us for a little more than one year. She joined us shortly after the death of our 13-year-old cat Elizabeth.

Her arrival in our home was as a case of our needing her as badly as she needed us. Our apartment felt lonely without the presence of a cat and Starfire was in need of a caregiver. Once over the stress of an unfamiliar environment, Starfire brought so much life and energy to our home.

Her presence filled a tangible void.

Since she came to live with us, Jonathan and I have been amazed by our cat’s intelligence. Last night, Jonathan’s pager went off and normally, if I hear the pager and Jonathan does not, I nudge him awake.

Last night, however, both of us apparently slept through the pager’s warning beeper.

Jonathan woke to Starfire gently “making biscuits” on his foot. She then perched on the window sill and watched him to see what he would do -- almost as if, Jonathan told me, Starfire was asking him, “Should you be awake for this?”

As soon as Starfire saw Jonathan was awake and getting up to check on the pager, she went on her way.

Beyond her intelligence, our precious Starfire is so incredibly loving. She runs to greet us when we return home at the end of a day at work. Starfire is an absolute delight.