It was time for Ana Half-Tail, Warrior Cat, King of the Culvert, to move on to greater things. He was spending longer and longer away from The Cat’s Garden; he was expanding his territory and roaming further afield. He was a handsome, mature adult who had proved himself as an up-and-coming alpha-male in the neighbourhood, and it was time for him to set up his own colony.

Ana had been a fine guard cat to the humans. It was not unknown for him to appear in the house, just patrolling through, checking in the doorway of each room before turning on his heel and disappearing out again, as though it was the most natural thing to do. One of his favourite perches was the bedroom windowsill where he napped the afternoon away, defending the house from all comers.

We would miss his sense of humour. He would ‘hide’ round the corner from the kitchen door when the humans’ cooking smells tempted him up. He was just happy to sit there and be part of the family.

But, as much as we would miss him, there were younger males growing up. Ana had younger brothers (and sisters) and it was time to pass the baton on to the next generation.