Saturday, named after the day he was first spotted, is one of the alpha-male élite of the neighbourhood, a perfectly-proportioned, deceptively large cat, and regular visitor to The Cat’s garden (especially around feeding time).

One of the problems faced by an alpha-male is the desire of all other males to knock you off the top spot and it is seldom that Saturday is seen without a new collection of bite marks, scratches and puncture wounds. It appears that one of his sworn enemies is neighbourhood cat Sunday, another the up-and-coming Mr Tiffin, not to mention a young pretender called G4. Sunday’s method is to wait until Saturday’s back is turned and then wade into him. Mr Tiffin prefers to turn the volume up to 11 and deafen Saturday into retreating (so far this method has not proved successful, but it isn’t stopping Mr Tiffin trying). G4 is still fine-tuning his method, but in his defence he runs fast and Saturday was hampered by a limp last time…so G4 lives to fight another day.

Saturday’s size and high level of activity renders him permanently hungry and anyone who believes that a cat has a stomach the size of a walnut has not watched Saturday eat the best part of a large tin of cat food, plus pâté, topped with a gravy pouch, in one sitting. Three times a day. And then come to the front door at night for pudding. That being said, he does leave the dishes sparkling clean, and every chef likes a diner who enjoys his food.

Recently Saturday has become less feral and discovered quite an endearing miaow, the size of which is a direct contradiction to his physical size. He has become more comfortable in proximity to the humans who feed him – for a feral gentleman, his garden manners are pleasing to behold. His enthusiasm for food means that he has started coming to the food rather than waiting for it to come to him (saving two or three precious seconds’ eating time). Having polished his own bowl, he sits patiently, a queue of one, staring wistfully at The Cat as she eats, in the hope that she will abandon her special food before the dish is empty, so he can move in. He relaxes in one of the wooden fruit boxes, carefully chosen by him to be just-too-small-in-every-direction.

For an alpha-male, he has many likeable qualities – just don’t tell anyone, or his reputation will be ruined.