Cats have shared our lives and we will never forget them, their memories are kept deep in our hearts. Occasionally one of the family will mention something that cat did and I can recall the cats face so clearly as if he or she had sat on my knee that afternoon.

It is good to remember no matter how sad memories can make us.

Albert, my very first Siamese  bought as a kitten on a whim by my mother, to be a treat for me when I was thirteen. I had a really bad cold and was off school. We had the choice of four kittens and we chose the only female. My mums' theory was to give her a boys name and my dad would not know until she was well settled..

 My dad was working away and he always insisted on a male cat, when he came home a few weeks later, Albert was asleep by the fire in one of his slippers. My dad picked her up and said  how gorgeous was this little boy, he then lifted the tail and said, "Do you know  you have been done Dorothy this is a female !!" To which already primed my mother and all the kids replied in feigned shock and slight horror,  "It isn't is it ?"

Albert had one litter of kittens before being spayed, she and her kittens came on holiday with us for 6 weeks to the families  holiday  home in Wales. We are convinced Albert could talk, she sat by the door and said loudly "Meeouwt" and by the pantry "Meewk" and she astounded many visitors with her demands for going out or wanting milk. Albert of course came with me when I got married and she died aged 17 years, sadly not many Siamese cats live to this ripe old age now.

Treacle,  a Black Tortie part British Shorthair, and known in the family as the best  cat in the world. We got Treacle as a 6 weeks old kitten the day before bonfire night and my mum who was at our house said she was all the shades of treacle toffee and so she was christened. Treacle was a star and a local celebrity, she would walk me to the bus stop when I went to work in the morning and she would meet me off the bus in the evening other than that she did not go any further than our back garden or to visit Ann next  door. She loved Ann and would leave her a tidy little line of dead mice now and again, which horrified Ann every time but it used to make my teenage sons  roar with laughter. Treacle died at the age of  sixteen from a massive heart attack as she lay sunning herself in our back garden. For years after, I expected her at the kitchen window whenever I was washing the pots.

Always, excellent  company in the greenhouse, she and I , spent many  pleasurable  days together over the years.  Treacle loved to come in and to go out via the kitchen window, it was one of  her favourite party tricks.. My husband used to say to her, "Come on in, Treak, why use a door when you can use a window !"

Dolly, full title  Mordor  Hello Dolly, Seal Tabby point Siamese, with her first litter and only litter of kittens, Dolly had no milk, I hand reared for  nearly two weeks  every hour and half, until I spoke to Charles Barrett and he sent me the Homeopathic remedy that miraculously brought her milk in. Before the milk  came, Dolly would gently place a baby against my cheek in the middle of the night, telling me he was ready for a bottle now. It was such a loving gesture, a soft warm furry baby  against your face and his feline mum softly chattering to reassure him that he would be alright now. At the age of eighteen months Dolly developed a serious  illness after going on a honeymoon visit to stud and we sadly lost her, yet  another  deep scar on our hearts..

Rona, full title  Whojoe Korona,  Sealpoint Siamese a loving girl with the bluest eyes you ever saw, who at the age of two and a half, suddenly developed a very nasty temper, off to the vets where nothing could be found wrong with her. The advice was it must be hormonal get her mated up and it will balance her hormones. It took quite some time to get Rona in kitten and when she was six weeks pregnant to Supreme Grand Champion Tabbra Bon Chance, Rona woke John in the night charging from one end of the lounge to the other and hitting her head on the radiators she was obviously extremely distressed.  I took her to the vets and I will never forget it was the first day of the infamous petrol strike and I went to the furthest surgery in our vets practise as I  wanted to see the head vet, Tony Buxton.  After a series of tests very sadly Rona had a massive brain tumour and she was put to sleep.  I was devasted, on the way home I needed petrol and pulled in at a small petrol station  as I  got out to fill my car, I was greeted with a lot of shouting, I did not notice there was a long, long queue and I had bypassed it all. I just stood there crying and I don't know who was more surprised me or the  impatient queue.

Chelz, our  second British Shorthair, named after my cousin Chelsea who was  over at the time from Australia and came with me to see Chelz as a kitten. Chelz was our foundation queen having only three litters before she was neutered, every single kitten was a cracker. Chelz was shown as a kitten and got her Best of Breed every time but only shown once as an adult getting her Best of Breed and CC, Chelz would have made Champion quickly  but Rona in a fit of pique one day bit her on the back of the neck and the hair never grew back in a small spot this very sadly ended her very  promising show career. Chelz was the sweetest natured girl.

Jago,  in any life time there is a cat who will hold the most special space in your heart and this was my cat, my soul mate, a stunning chocolate point male neuter, we had endless delight at showing Jago who became UK Grand Premier Drestothril Dartangan. Sadly although we had Jago neutered at 7 months at the age of three years old he suddenly started spraying and we could not stop him as we had girls calling and this had triggered him off. Though it broke my heart in a million pieces, Jago went to live with a good friend of my daughters' who had no other cats and so Jago did not spray, this was on the understanding that we would always be in touch with him.  Jago was put to sleep with kidney failure at the age of nine years old. Thank you to Holly, who also gave him her heart.

We could not face looking at a Siamese cat for a few years the heartbreak of loosing Rona, Dolly and Jago was just too much to bare, we avoided the show section of the Siamese as we were absolutely choked but once loved by a Siamese there is  no way they  will ever let you go and deep in  our hearts we knew we  would be back eventually in the loving grip of a Siamese or two.....