And while we’re on the subject of trees, there was one fruit tree which the cats loved year in, year out, in all four seasons. Oddly, it was a dead tree; there was no foliage and the branches were rough and spiky, yet the cats seemed to favour it above all others. Maybe it was because it provided a good vantage point, and they felt safe knowing that no one could creep up on them without their knowing.

Whatever the reason, this special tree presented some good opportunities for photos including a rare photo of The Cat’s daughter Flora, who usually ran away at the first sight of a phone or camera.

Photo no. 1 – The Cat’s daughter Flora feeling unusually relaxed – she was a generally anxious cat

Photo no. 2 – The Cat’s great-grandson Pascha relaxing in the tree.

Photo no. 3 – Flora’s son Checkers was never fully relaxed around the humans and preferred to keep his distance.

Photo no. 4 – Flora’s daughter Satsuma – she was born with a stumpy tail which you can just make out here (the header picture also features Satsuma).

Photo no. 5 – Dawn’s sons Raven and Sherpa with She-ba’s daughter Moonstruck sharing the special tree.

The following year when the dead tree was cut down, the cats still insisted on sitting on the stumps of the branches and the main trunk. Like the olive tree, it had an undeniable and mystical attraction for them.