Long before we discovered Pedigree cats Ali had Rescue cats.

First came Holly, a Brown Tabby. Holly was a feral kitten and was very nervous when she came to live with us. She soon settled in though and became a really confident, loving cat who had a lot to say for herself! Unfortunately, Holly was diagnosed with Diabetes in September 2003; she coped well with having insulin injections twice a day and seemed to be thriving. But at the end of July 2007, after being in Status Epilepticus for several hours she was put to sleep. Life is very quiet without our “Poll-Cat” as we used to call her, and we miss her terribly.

Then came Spike, what Steve calls a "Friesian" or Black and White. Spike was a complete gentleman. He always liked to know that all his feline and human friends were happy. Spike was very good pals with Buffy with whom he would curl up with and he was always very good to the kittens. He loved to be cuddled and would stand on his back legs with his front paws raised to let you know when he was desperate for a cuddle. If you didn’t see him doing it and catch him in time he would often fall over backwards! Spike suffered from Struvite crystals in his urine and went into acute renal failure in the Summer of 2004. Fortunately, we caught it in time and we were able to treat it. Sadly, Spike had to be put to sleep unexpectedly in October 2008 as he’d suffered an aneurism. There is a big Spike shaped hole in our hearts now.

Last but not least is Tasha , a large Black cat. She was between 4 and 5 weeks old when a friend at the local vets asked me if I could offer her a home. Who could resist a tiny bundle of Fluff that could sit on the palm of your hand? Not me! Tashy settled in and was brought up by Spike. She now weighs about 16 pounds and has trouble getting in through the catflap!

Ruby was our first Pedigree cat. We went to see her after our Silver Tabby and White moggie Kenny was run over by a car. At first I wasn't sure about her- she was manic, running all over the place chasing shadows! But Steve persuaded me to take her and she settled in to life with us and the other cats really quickly. She is a wonderful cat with real "cattitude".

She is a Silver Spotted Tortie Tabby British Shorthair, and despite having a little of the famous Tortie temperament (that gives her the "cattitude"!), she is very loving. Even though she isn't a kitten anymore, she loves to play and will badger us until we give her attention. She is a Mummy's girl, and loves to sleep at my side or at my head.

Ruby is particularly sociable, and she thinks that all visitors have come specifically to see her. She and Buffy are great friends (perhaps because they are both Torties) and chase each other round the cat garden playing tag.

Hugo is Steve’s housecat and was born in June 2007. He is an incredibly friendly Blue Classic Tabby who loves all the kittens and always wants to wash them, take care of them and play with them. He frequently leads them astray as well! Our prospective kitten owners regularly come to meet the feline family and say they’d like a Hugo too.

Hugo has come to 4 shows with us as a Housecat and has won Best in Show at 3 out of the 4. Considering he didn’t make his show debut until he was 18 months old, he took it in his stride and loved the adulation and attention.

He likes to sleep with us, often wakes us in the night for some love by prodding his paw less than gently in our faces, and he refuses to take no for an answer. Hugo is Marmalade’s best friend and Steve calls them “a pair of great gullumphs”. He is a one in a million.