Some of you may have seen my pictures on Facebook. My mummy likes to show them off to everyone. I get embarrassed sometimes when she puts one of me standing on the toilet but hoomins like showing pictures to other hoomins so I don;t mind so much.

My name is Hieronymous Bosch Kitty Purkis the Second. Mummy gave me my name two years ago but she shortened it so most people call me Mr Kitty. I try to look after my mum because she needs someone to look out for her and most of the time she is by herself in her flat. She gets really scared sometimes and really sad so I give her cuddles.

My mummy needs my love but I need her love too. My mummy is not the first hoomin I have lived with. I barely remember it but there was a family when I was a tiny kitten. They played with me and we all had fun but as I got bigger they paid less attention to me until one day they drove me out into a big scary paddock and just left me. I cited and cried but nobody heard. I spent so long all alone. Nobody patted me, I had nobody to talk to and I had to defend myself against other cats and dogs and kill mice and birds for dinner. I just wanted somebody to cuddle me and tell me they loved me but it was just me on my own.

One day I smelled a delicious smell which reminded me of the time I had my hoomin family – canned cat food. I ran straight towards the smell, ate the cat food and heard a sharp snap behind me. I was in a cage and I could’t get out! I was terrified but in the morning a nice lady came and took me into her house. She thought I was somebody’s cat who had escaped from the vet clinic she owned and took me the house of the lady who had lost her cat. The lady said ‘that’s not my cat’ and back I went to the vet’s house. Another lady who had a kind smile and gave me lots of cuddles took me to her house. I was going to have a mummy again! I was excited. But the nice lady had lots of cats and I was scared. I swiped at them and hissed so I got put in the bathroom by myself. I didn;t know what was happening and was very scared. Then I got taken to another house. I was in a cage and I saw this big lady wearing a blue shirt. She picked me up and held me to her face. I could feel the love coming out of her every pore. ‘You’re beautiful’ she said and cuddled me like her life depended on it. I started to purr. The kind lady with all the cats left and it was just this new hoomin and me. She gave me some delicious food and lots of cuddles. We got to know one another. It was a difficult start – I woke up mummy because I got stuck in the shower recess. She stood on me in the middle of the night (I am a black cat and she didn’t see me).

It took me a long time to get used to my new life. I wouldn’t eat when mummy was at work because I worried she might not come back. She cuddled me so much and told me many, many times each day how much she loved me. She would say ‘Mr Kitty, you’re beautiful and I love you.’ And we would cuddle each other. My mum isn’t perfect though. Sometimes she does things I don’t like. She takes me to a cat prison every few months. There are lots of cats in there and no mummy. She tells me it’s called boarding but it’s scary and I try to escape. But she always comes back and tells me about what she was doing when I was in cat boarding prison. She tells me about conferences and disability and mental health advocacy. I don’t really know much about that but I hear other hoomins tell mummy how she makes a difference in the world so it must be good.

Mummy isn;t always happy and bouncy. Sometimes she is sad. She works and works, staying up late and forgets to cuddle me or play with me. I go up to her and say ‘you’re sad and you need cuddles’ but she does’t listen. I rub up against her and then nibble her ankles. My mummy needs me and I need her. My favourite thing is when she goes to bed. I jump on the bed and play but then when she gets sleepy I snuggle up with her. I climb under the covers and lie down on the pillow next to her. She puts her arm around me and plays with my paw and I purr like there’s no tomorrow. I love when she has visitors too. Mummy has a night with some nice ladies every couple of weeks. They look at a movie on the TV and talk about all sorts of things. Mummy really loves these nights too and I play with all the ladies and climb in their handbags.

I think I’m a very lucky little black cat to have a mummy like mine. I need to look after her too though because she gets sad and confused and needs me. – Mr Kitty

I like this picture of me. Mummy likes it too