How Much is that Kitteh in the Window?

It was now autumn 2007 and Tango, our recently adopted ginger female, decided the time was ripe to drop her bombshell. Having spent most of the previous few weeks sprawled on our sofa, especially when there was a downpour, Tango gave not a single clue that she was burdened by any maternal responsibilities whatsoever. And then one day, having lulled Sue and I into a false sense of security, she presented us with two kitten-shaped problems.

We discussed at length what we would do about our multiplying cat problem. Eventually our minds were made up and our resolve was steadfast: we decided that it would be impractical, verging upon mad, to have three cats running around our house, so we planned to take a cute picture of the two kittehs, snuggled together, that would melt the heart of anyone who saw our poster. If all worked according to plan, people would beg to be allowed to take a kitten off our hands.

But first we had to take our temporary charges to the vets in town for a check-up. Sonia and Monica sexed them (one male, one female), examined them and pronounced them both healthy. The next step was to give them names: the male, ginger kitten was named 'Jaffa' and the darker female 'Minnie'. And finally, the cute photograph which would have the cat-lovers of Alcossebre queuing outside our house - maybe we could even have an auction, and turn a small profit on the deal!

But the need for a cute picture threw up our first problem: while Jaffa stood out, with his vivid blue eyes and his ginger and white markings Minnie, by contrast, was camouflaged by nature - you had to look twice to be sure of which was her front end, and which was her rear end. The photograph (above) used in the poster still looks to me like a cute little ginger kitten sleeping on top of a rather messy and bedraggled bundle of rags.

And that was the best photograph we could get of the two together. Jaffa, naturally photogenic, preened himself when the camera was about; but to get them both looking simultaneously cute was beyond our powers. However, we calculated that we needed to photograph them both together, stressing that they were an inseparable pair, and that the ugly duckling was part of the deal if you wanted Jaffa. Don't get me wrong - from time to time, Minnie could look almost cute, proving that the camera, if it didn't lie, was in imminent danger of perjuring itself.

Anyway, the photograph had been chosen, the text translated into English and Spanish, and the posters went up all over Alcossebre. We decided that all we had to do next was to sit back and wait for the rush.

And that's what we did.