Phantom had been brought to the fields as a young kitten by her mother who then disappeared, leaving her daughter to make her own way in the world. Where Phantom had come from, we had no idea. But she seemed determined to make her home in the fields on the opposite side of the road, so maybe that was where she had spent the first weeks of her life.

The following year, Phantom introduced her own kittens to the food bowls in the front path and the drive, carefully avoiding the garden (probably because The Cat had taken a dislike to her). The little family came at dusk or after dark, and we only caught a glimpse of them occasionally.

Phantom’s female kittens Shady, Braveheart and Mohi, and their brother Tuxedo Joe were not friendly, so we were surprised to find Shady in the garden one hot summer morning. She was five months old, emaciated and malnourished, with her bones and joints clearly visible.

Shady knew she needed help, and luckily she was a clever girl and knew where to come.

She was given protected mealtimes, eating away from the feeding station, sometimes with Sherpa who had also just arrived in the garden. When she was standing and walking, Shady looked like a malnourished young adult, but when she lay down, she was the size of a kitten and Sherpa, having lost his three siblings, formed a bond with her.

Over the following weeks and months, Shady filled out, albeit very slowly, although she remained very narrow in build (having probably been lacking in the necessary nutrients when she was growing) and delicate in appearance.

But all the same, by the time the winter came, her coat thickened up and she looked healthier.

Like Flora’s daughter Satsuma, she was never going to be a big cat, but she was healthy and enjoying life as a member of the Garden Family, and hopefully glad that she took that big step and came to The Cat’s garden that hot summer morning.