Tabitha came into our lives at a time when we were missing a very special little cat.
We had recently lost our much-loved Turnip, and the house felt terribly empty without him. Then one evening, I came across a photograph of a six-month-old kitten looking for a new home.
Something about her immediately caught my attention.
She looked remarkably like Podge, a very special cat who had shared my life for 23 wonderful years. Podge was my soulmate, one of those extraordinary animal companions who leaves an impression on your heart that never fades. Even today, I still use his name, Officer Podge, as part of my email address.
Seeing that little kitten brought back so many fond memories, and before I knew it, arrangements had been made for her to join our family.
I thought I was bringing home a new little companion for myself.
Tabitha, however, had other ideas.
The moment we arrived home, she spotted my daughter Charlotte sitting at the top of the stairs and promptly decided that Charlotte was her person.
So much for my carefully imagined plans! Fortunately, over the years, Tabitha has decided that one devoted human simply isn't enough. She now has two mums.
Charlotte provides one particular kind of companionship, with plenty of playtime and cosy cuddles beneath the bedcovers. I, on the other hand, have been appointed to the extremely important position of Chief Morning Cuddle Provider.
And Tabitha takes this arrangement very seriously.
Every morning, after breakfast, she waits for me to make my coffee and head upstairs. The moment I approach the bedroom, the race begins.
Freddie, Morse and Tabitha all have their own ideas about who should receive my attention first.
Tabitha generally wins.
Before I've even settled down with my coffee, she's climbing all over me, determined to receive her morning cuddles.
And if I'm not moving quickly enough, she's quite prepared to launch herself directly into my arms.
Whether I'm holding a cup of coffee at the time is apparently none of her concern.
Personal safety procedures have never been one of Tabitha's strongest departments.
Once her cuddle requirements have been satisfied, however, she's quite capable of disappearing to pursue her own interests.
One of her favourite occupations is finding the smallest, most unlikely places in which to curl up.
She's particularly fond of a storage tray beneath my clothes, which she gradually claimed as her own.
Eventually, I accepted defeat and labelled it with her name.
TABITHA.
Apparently, even cats appreciate having their own designated accommodation.
She's also convinced that my laptop case has been provided exclusively for her comfort. The moment it appears, she settles herself on top of it, regardless of whether I was planning to use it.
During the day, Tabitha enjoys occasional bursts of completely unexplained energy.
One minute she's peacefully relaxing, and the next she's racing around the house as though she's suddenly remembered an extremely important appointment.
Nobody knows where she's going.
Nobody knows what she's chasing.
And occasionally Midnight joins in, making the whole performance even more entertaining.
Another of Tabitha's peculiar interests is Poppy. Although I keep the cats separate from Poppy for everyone's comfort, Tabitha is absolutely fascinated by her scent.
Whenever she has access to a room Poppy has recently occupied, she enthusiastically rolls around on the rug, apparently delighted by the lingering aroma of her canine housemate.
Quite what she finds so irresistible remains a mystery.
Tabitha also has a very particular bedtime arrangement.
She enjoys sleeping above my head, preferably with the fan blowing gently in her direction.
Clearly, executive accommodation comes with certain expectations.
But beneath all her peculiar habits, sudden bursts of energy and rather demanding cuddle arrangements, Tabitha is an extraordinarily affectionate little cat.
She loves being close to the people she trusts and has a wonderful ability to make herself part of our everyday routines.
She may have chosen Charlotte first, but somewhere along the way she decided there was more than enough love to share between us.
And now, as Head of Cuddles & Unscheduled Acrobatics, she takes her responsibilities extremely seriously.
Particularly the acrobatics.
Because in Tabitha's world, if you want a cuddle, there's absolutely no reason to wait for somebody to put down their coffee first.