“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.)

Horace getting his allowance of Vitamin D, basking in a patch of sunshine by the open front door.

This rottweiler puppy is going to start training as a guard dog in the new year – at the moment though, she’s rather sweet, especially when occupied in chewing on a stick rather than growling and trying to attack your ankles.

It was my husband who introduced me to Staffordshire terriers, a breed of dog which had never particularly appealed to me before (I grew up with a poodle!).  But now I really like their happy personalities, boisterous eagerness to play, and that solid, uncompromising wedge-shaped head.  This little guy is named Edgar, and is very sweet indeed.