Many years ago we adopted an unwanted kitten, one of a litter that had been abandoned with their mother. As the years went by we joked that we could understand why Min was abandoned - she could be a complete pain in the neck when she wanted to be. She had the loudest howl I have ever heard and, if she wanted attention, would just climb onto your lap and stare in the most baleful way. She was, however, a very affectionate friend.

She lived with us for about twelve years before finally succumbing to failing kidneys as a result of a thyroid condition. She could have lived longer with medication but it became an absolute battle to get the pills into her and we decided that the trauma she was going through when medicated was worse than the disease.

She finally collapsed while we were away and my daughter had to take her to the vet, who put her down.

A copule of days later we picked her up from the vet and buried her under a bench in the garden which had been her favourite roosting place for just about all the time we had been in that house. A year or so later we found a crouching cat garden ornament which we placed on top of her grave.