“Such a vicious kitten,” I enjoy cooing to Horace, possibly the sookiest cat ever to walk the earth, while tickling his tummy. “What a vicious kitty-cat.” However, he can occasionally live up to his lion-like looks and get destructive with various household accessories.

(He’s a Norwegian Forest Cat cross Persian, the result of our friend’s show cat getting it on with the neighbour’s rather ordinary Persian. Not the done thing. I was very pleased by the liaison though, as we got ever-so-handsome Horace and his sister Abigail as a result.)