Tas

It was 1994. I was at college studying for my A'levels (A.K.A. hanging out in the Student Union playing pool and Street Fighter on the arcade thingy). Standing outside I spotted what looked like a black and white rat running along, then falling down the other side of a six foot high wall.

Upon investigation this 'rat' was infact a teeny kitten. I took him to a vet as his fur was sticky with something yellowish. They cleaned him up and pronounced him fit for home, though he would need hand rearing since he was too small to be away from his mum (he was roughly the length of my hand).

So I was Tas' surrogate mum, feeding him milk through a medicine syringe in the night, lifting him onto my bed since he soon learnt how to mew and mew and mew until it drove me mad. He slept in my bed most nights until he started going outside- then it was out hunting for the night, a rebellious teen.

These days he still lives with mum but our paths cross various times a week. He still sees me as someone special, purring back responding to my chatter.

I think he's the handsomest cat I've ever seen, but then, I would, wouldn't I!