Ten facts about The Cat.

1. She liked to be higher than everyone else, here taking her siesta in the stone birdbath in the drive with her son Ana asleep in a plant pot. She also had first call on the sunny corner of the water tank on the veranda, as befitted her position of matriarch.

2. She never rolled over and showed her belly – this was as close as we got to seeing it. Although she softened towards the humans, she remained essentially a feral cat and we never attempted to stroke her belly or lift her up. And we might not have survived, had we tried!

3. She was a very long cat, lithe and supple. When she jumped up, it almost appeared that she went into slow-motion at the end of her leap, bringing her back legs up under her and landing silently and perfectly balanced.

4. She had really big paws, and fluffy too.

5. Even in her later years, she remained supple, agile and graceful. We put some plastic crates under the olive tree and next to the garden wall to help her jump up when we thought she was becoming arthritic in her older age; of course she (and all the cats) used them, but her joints didn’t really appear to be getting any more stiff or achy than anyone else’s.

6. She loved being a mother. She had her own mothering style, and her offspring remained loyal to her even as they grew up. She allowed them to suckle even after weaning, and was happy to continue grooming and generally looking after them as they outgrew kittenhood.

7. She loved sitting in boxes, lying in boxes, eating in boxes, napping in boxes. She just loved boxes. And, of course, boxes gave her that extra bit of height which she loved so much. There were certain boxes in the garden which were her favourites, in particular one old wooden box which had contained salted fish (maybe it still smelt fishy, and that made it extra-attractive).

8. Her favourite food was rabbit and duck – she liked game flavours best. She was a delicate eater and would lick the dish methodically, right up to the top, if it had contained something really tasty.

9. She was a sun-seeker. Even in the summer with her longer coat she would lie in the sun in the morning, only moving to the shade when it became really hot. Maybe she was older than we realised and was enjoying the sun on her bones, or maybe she just liked to be warmer than some other cats.

10. When she sought the shade, she chose to lie in the long grass, under the fruit trees (and very well hidden!). Generally she lay with her back against the trunk of the tree, or in a corner – somewhere where she was not completely in the open.