My parents had five cats through the years - all at the same time, for a short period. Two were dispossessed stable cats, and all were hard luck cases. The last died in January - aged 22. She was always weak and sickly, and yet she lasted longest!!

My husband's allergic, so no cats for us now. Besides, we live on a main road where any self-respecting cat would get squashed. We've got ourselves a tame blackbird instead...