I WAS IN A CAT FLAP UNTIL I GOT THE HANG OF IT

Pet guru Kate Bendix took in rescue cats Pearl and Dave 16 years ago...

‘When I went to the Celia Hammond Trust in south London to get a rescue cat, the scene I witnessed was sorrowful. So many cats, all fit and healthy but all needing homes, looking at me with their beautiful eyes. If I could’ve taken a dozen I would have. It just so happened they had a brother and sister about a year old, rescued from a tower block as a litter of nine. All had been rehomed except these two.

‘I christened them Pearl and Dave, got them home, and then the fun started. I knew nothing about cats. I bought a litter tray, food, bowls, collars, ID tags and catnip toys and insured them. I cut cat-flaps in the front door of my flat and the entrance door two flights down so that when they were ready for the outside world I could let them out.

‘While I was running about like a loon, Dave explored every inch of his new home while Pearl huddled between a chest of drawers and the wall. She stayed there for two days, only creeping out when I was asleep to eat and drink. After a week I woke to find her on my bed – she jumped off quickly but it was a good sign.

‘I never forced them to do anything they didn’t want to do. I’d stroke them when they came near me and only picked them up after a few weeks. Pearl became the more

Pearl and (below) Dave