Today marks the fifth anniversary of the passing of The Cat.

We have no idea how old she was when we arrived just over ten years earlier, but she was certainly adult and had had at least one litter.

Over her last couple of years, The Cat had started to look older and was spending more time napping under the trees in the garden. We had no idea until her last morning when we found her that she was still going out and about, still obviously crossing the road, still spending time in the fields during the night – indeed, she continued to surprise us right up to her last breath.

But despite her advancing years, she was still the matriarch, still the boss. She liked to be in the middle of things, although detached and a little aloof, and younger members of her family gravitated towards her.

These photos show The Cat with her family and at feeding times, still very much part of garden life and at the centre of her family.

1. The Cat enjoying some sun after breakfast on a winter’s day. With her are – L-R daughter Flora, grand-daughter Pippin, daughter Whitefur, and grand-daughter Calypso.

2. The Cat supervising breakfast in the garden. Clockwise from The Cat’s left are Thundercat, her grand-daughter Souci, BBC, and The Cat’s daughter Flora.

3. The Cat leaving the feeding station. With her are – on the feeding station L-R Clover, The Cat’s son Blackfur, Lychee, The Cat’s daughter Whitefur, BBC, Dawn and She-ba. On the green plastic crates are Cheese, The Cat’s grand-daughter Souci, and Gypsy. At the front is The Cat’s grand-daughter Pippin, and on the pallets beneath the feeding station is The Cat’s daughter, Flora. The Cat had probably eaten her food next to Flora; the tins tell us it was a fish day.

4. The Cat and her family waiting for the sun to come round onto the water tank on the veranda. L-R The Cat’s grand-daughter Pippin, daughters Whitefur and Flora, and grand-daughters Souci (behind The Cat) and Calypso.