Me and my cat - Carmel Reilly

Every cat owner believes that his or her cat understands every word that they say. Every cat owner believes that cats are far more intelligent than dogs - they're just too cool to show it. Every cat owner believes that their cat should be on TV starring in advertisements for everything from furniture and carpets to central heating and, yes, cat food. And those Andrex puppies have had it their own way for far too long...

Every cat owner, in fact, is a cat lover. If they're not cat lovers when the cat first comes along - you don't purchase a cat, they choose to live with you - then they will be within a very short space of time. There are stories, of course, that every cat owner loves to tell. It may be that the cat became hugely and unusually distressed the day a relative died unexpectedly on the other side of town. It may be about how the cat is a constant source of comfort during bad times, or how the cat faces up to urban foxes in the garden. It may simply be a story about how the cat is a loving companion.

Cat lovers simply love telling cat stories!