One sunny Saturday afternoon of the following spring, The Cat gave birth to a litter in the garden. She kept them tucked safely into the long grass where they had the warmth of the afternoon sun and the shade of the grass. Here they stayed, unnoticed by any of the other cats, for the first two weeks of their lives before they started stretching their legs and taking their first steps under the fruit trees.

There were three kittens; the first-born mostly white, the second a grey tabby, and finally a tuxedo. For identification purposes, we gave them names based on their fur colour, our intention being to change their names as they grew older and developed their individual personalities. Needless to say, that never happened and their original names stuck. Whitefur, Greyfur and Blackfur were a close and happy family and The Cat was a relaxed and content mother.

The weeks passed and the Furries were growing. We learnt that firstborn Whitefur was female, and Greyfur and Blackfur male. Blackfur was the last born and the smallest, but they were all fit and healthy, happy to play and sleep together in the safety of the garden.