The Ginger Toms.

They were ginger male cats, one half the size of the other, both with mangy coats, one friendlier to us than the other, both badly in need of care and attention. The first tasks we would have to do would be to de-louse and worm them. It quickly became clear it would take a little time for each to tolerate the other as both hissed at one another for the first couple of days and gave each other a wide berth whenever they passed.

The larger one had a coat the colour of an orange, and so our elder son chose to name him Jaffa. He was very wary of everyone and didn’t think twice about scratching anyone who tried to stroke or pick him up. Having been caged up for a considerable amount of time, would we be able to tame him?

The smaller, friendlier one, had the most amazing eyes, the colour of a precious gem, and so our younger son gave him the name Amber. He was very frisky, on the table one minute, under the couch another, so curious was he to explore his new environment. But, thankfully, he enjoyed being petted.