The day we moved into our new home was marked by a noisy (and extremely messy) fight between Ana and Pea Cat. Contrary to our initial thoughts, it was now evident that The Cat’s offspring were in fact two young males, and they both had their sights set on becoming their mother’s guardian and alpha-male-cat-in-residence of The Cat’s Garden. According to feline protocol, there could only be one victor, and, after a fight packed with hormones and bad tempers, that victor was Ana. Pea Cat left immediately and headed across the fields to the next village, where he made his home. The humans celebrated the first evening in their new home by sluicing, scrubbing and disinfecting the terrace.

The Cat and Ana, her Number One Son, settled into their new routine.

Ana started to assert himself with the other feral cats who were visiting the garden. The Cat seemed happy with the new family arrangements, bearing in mind she and her son had the added benefit of new tenants who looked like the sort of impressionable humans who might be persuaded to spend a lot of money of cat food. I mean, just look at those faces – their plan was surely destined for success.