The Cat chose to give birth to some of her kittens in the fields, especially in the early years before she was friendly. That meant that, although we saw her regularly when she came to eat, we did not see the kittens until they were a few weeks old. And, because the kittens were in the fields, naming them was something that had to be done at a distance.

The story of how Ginge, Tabby, Blackie and Splodge got their names has been well-documented.

The Cat’s next litter numbered four. The first was Fickle, a tortoiseshell girl named because it seemed that The Cat was fickle when it came to her suitors, allowing a selection of the neighbourhood gentlemen to court her. And no, Fickle never quite grew into her ears.

Next was Drip, so-called because we suspected her father might have been a cat from a local property named ‘Raindrops’; Drip had her mother’s colouring and coat.

Once we had seen Fickle and Drip a few times in the fields, we realised their names were the wrong way round, but it didn’t really matter, so the names stuck.

Fleckle and Fred’s names were connected to dancing, Fleckle being a corruption of the dance step ‘Fleckerl’, and Fred being named after Fred Astaire. And yes, ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ was on television at that time!

Like Drip, Fleckle had her mother’s colouring but a thicker, fluffier coat. Fred was the only male of the litter and was a handsome black-and-white kitten with his heart set on being his mother’s and sisters’ protector.

Obviously, none of them knew what their names were, but it did make identification a lot easier for the humans.