What is it about a bacon sandwich that makes me laugh like a drain? The very phrase "bacon sandwich" is enough to set me off.

I strongly believe that cats mourn when a sibling or a kitten dies, or even another cat in the household who was not related by blood. They certainly feel the loss of human companions; their efforts to find the missing person are unmistakable.

My first husband, Mr Wrong, was a lousy spouse but very good to cats. When he finally left (or was pushed; it's debatable), the three cats then in residence, and the two pensioners who dropped in daily for grub and company, all showed signs of missing him, sitting on me obsessively in shifts and wandering about shouting.