Uni a chubby cheeked British Short Hair with a shy but inquisitive nature, stares down at me from the steps of the kitty platform and I offer her my hand. She gives it a cursory sniff before pushing first one cheek and then the other into my palm over and over again. Not for the first time I notice the tiny slither of fur on the top of her head that has grown back defiantly white. It covers a small scar, the only physical reminder of her recent misadventure. It was chilly win

Little Lola is an anxious kitty and on my first visit she poops on the living room rug and urinates on the sofa. She nuzzles me demanding a cuddle but after only a few strokes she gets annoyed and bats my hand away with her paw. I clean the mess away and hope it’s a one off. The next morning to my surprise I cannot find her anywhere. I check the cupboards and under sofas with rising panic when I hear a faint meow. Relieved I do a slower more methodical search but still cannot

Millie a petite white and black cat arrived with her face pressed against her basket eager to get out and explore. Hopping out of her carrier her tail pointed skyward, Millie trots over to have a sniff and say hello. A confident kitty she is soon investigating my apartment while her owner Jane looks on proudly. ‘I've known Millie since she was a kitten,’ said Jane ‘ I adopted her a few years ago and she usually goes everywhere with me.’ Jane gathered Milly in her arms for one

As a kitten Lily was the smallest of the bunch with short, stubby fur. The only one of her siblings that hadn’t been ‘coo’ed’ over and chosen by strangers to be given a home when she came of age. The owner of the kittens was wondering what to do about Lily when there was a knock at the door. A couple had got lost and were asking for directions and the owner invited them in. The couple saw Lily, fell in love and adopted her instantly. Such was Lily’s gratitude that her stubby

Gus watches through the hatch that connects the front room and the kitchen, as I spoon cat food into three separate bowls whilst Bert sits quietly in the doorway. Higgs is nowhere to be seen. Dropping silently onto the kitchen counter Gus plunges his nose into the nearest bowl. Grasping him behind his front legs and around his solid belly, I lower him onto the floor. I bat the air in front of me as cat hairs float gently past before landing on the kitchen counter. As soon as

At long last my art deco sofa arrived from Germany. It is a beast of a thing and it took two men to get its massive frame through my front door. Finally, it came to rest in my front room. I was still feeling rather pleased with myself when Nixon, a young, French, ginger Tom, arrived a few days later. His owners had recently emigrated from France and Nixon had travelled from Paris to the UK to join them. At the last minute Nixon’s owners were told that their new residence does

One quiet Wednesday morning, I received an agitated phone call from a prospective client. Kata had just been informed that the place she and her young cat Bella have been living in did not allow cats. She was trying to find a temporary home for Bella while she searched for a permanent place for them both. I had just had a cancellation and was happy to help so 45 minutes later, Kata arrived carrying a small and scared cat called Bella. Bella’s little head was buried so deeply

Invigorated by her early morning bike ride, her basket strapped firmly to her owners back, Margot hopped out of her carrier and immediately came and said hello. I noticed her tail had lost none of its trademark quiver as she headed off in the direction of the bedroom. Not put off by the closed door, she pushed it open with one paw and disappeared to her favourite spot under the bed. A self assured cat with a permanently upright tail Margot likes to spend the day in a semi ale

The two Burmese sisters Rosa and Silver arrive, as they do this time ever year, looking a little bit older and wiser. As kittens they were inseparable spilling out of their baskets and heading off together to explore. Today however Silver immediately disappears under a chair with Rosa aiming a haughty hiss after her. Gazing out, partially hidden by a floor cushion, I notice that Silver’s face has become more chiselled over time, the detail of her eyes, nose and mouth softly o

I first discovered Meow Meow, or Mama as she came to be known, last year while wandering around the tropical gardens that surround our home. Partially hidden amongst the trees, her busted nose and broken teeth an unusual setting for her piercing green eyes and a stark contrast to her impending pregnancy. I fed her from our stash of chorizo and anchovies while blackface monkeys watched greedily from the coconut palms above. One by one three kittens emerged from the undergrowth

Marley is a beautiful black and white Moggy who came for a stay of just a few days. Blind since birth and only able to distinguish shadows he was alarmed at finding himself in new surroundings. Less than amused at having to navigate new territory he meowed his protest loudly. Nudging himself into a corner after his owner and confidante had left, he clearly preferred the wall to me. But unable to resist an adventure he was soon pointing his nose skyward and sniffing the air