Despite the passing of The Cat, the lives of the Garden Family and Visiting Cats carried on pretty much as before.

Sadly, this was to be the year when we lost so many cats and kittens to a virus during the hot summer months but, when we lost The Cat in the spring, there were still young families and kittens who needed looking after.

At sad times like this, a distraction can be a good thing – and these kittens were certainly a happy distraction.

Flora’s family, born just before The Cat departed, were (clockwise from top left) Buffy, Checkers, Swift, Dandy Grey and Satsuma – three boys and two girls.

Pippin’s kittens, also born while The Cat was still with us, were Pascha and Pascal. Sadly, they both suffered from a virus as tiny kittens which left them partially sighted.

Cheese’s son Oregano was a little character. He would join any of the other kitten families, tagging along at feeding time and sharing their bowls. Everyone loved him and no one complained, not even the other mothers. The header photo shows him eating with Dawn’s son, Cetti.

Dawn’s kittens had the same virus as Pascha and Pascal and, like them, Cetti and Linnet were left with permanent eye damage. Raven managed to escape completely; sometimes there was no rhyme or reason as to why some cats and kittens were spared these infections while others succumbed.

Cracker’s son Mr T was the first tabby kitten of the Garden Family. Tabbies were very unusual at that time, and Cracker was a proud mama as ever (note the fascinator of cobwebs garnishing her head).

Bubble and Squeak were Mini’s first kittens and, although she was not keen on being around the humans, she realised that the garden was by far the safest place for them. Her younger sister Sundown was happy to help Mini and the kittens lived a happy life.

And so the circle of life continued, and cats came and went.