The Lady Magazine

8 July 2016

What cat lover does not imbue their own little puss with extraordinary powers that elevate them far above the average moggie? My own cat, Lulu Guinness, seems to me to be a genius. Her capacity for sniffing out the cat treats is unparalleled. Our cover star, Tabitha, was a well-known 1950s beauty queen who never failed to get first prize for the best stripy coat. But compared to Tink from Shropshire, who saved her family from a house fire, or Prince Smokey from Staffordshire, who prevented his owner from having a heart attack, their skills are woefully lacking. But then Tink and Prince Smokey are in the final to become Cat of the Year – a title truly deserved by all 15 finalists. Charlotte Fairbairn’s granny’s donkey, Spot, on the other hand, was used to having things done for him. By Charlotte’s account he was a prize thug who took no prisoners, but he did get to travel in a Daimler. History doesn’t relate whether the painter Georgia O’Keeffe kept pets, but what she did have was a unique ability for giving us images from nature that were other-worldly. Rather like the tiny masterpieces designed for our dolls’ house interiors piece this week. Two-inch-high Aga, anyone?