The Cat’s lineage continued, with Flora at the helm.

Flora’s older sister Whitefur had disappeared into the fields opposite exactly six months after The Cat passed away. Whitefur was a free spirit and had always been drawn to the field opposite, just like her brother Greyfur, and as the months passed, she had been visiting less and less frequently for food.

Flora’s big brother Blackfur was still a regular visitor. He avoided crossing the road since his accident, and spent his time in the garden and the surrounding fields.

Pippin was now Flora’s oldest daughter, as Souci had passed away over the summer, and we had lost Calypso out of the blue earlier in the season.

And as Pippin had had her own family the previous spring, Flora was also a grandmother. Pascal had been lost during the summer, but Pascha was a big, strong boy, oblivious to his partial sight, and growing up fast.

Of Flora’s younger offspring, Buffy had been lost on the road as a kitten, but his siblings were still doing well. Swift’s character was very like her mother’s and she was wary of the humans and preferred to have no interaction with us. She was a calico girl, but her colours (a darker version of Pippin’s shades) were quite different from those of her mother.

Dandy Grey, on the other hand, was an affectionate boy, cheeky and forward. It seemed that Buffy would have been the alpha-male of the family, as neither Dandy Grey nor Checkers seemed to have the more aggressive personalities needed to work their way up the alpha-male ladder.

Checkers’ character fell between Swift and Dandy’s. He wanted to be friendly (you could tell by his expression) but he just couldn’t overcome his feral roots, and remained happiest just out of reach of human touch.

And Satsuma, the runt of the litter, after spending months as a very small and frail-looking cat, was blossoming. She was still small, but had filled out perfectly and was determined and very much her own person.

So Flora was content. She had time to herself to do whatever she wanted, and her garden to return to, where she would be surrounded by her family.