Daisy was 5-7 years old when we rehomed her from Battersea Old Windsor in 2001 and was a big part of our family.

Very shy when we first got her, we didn’t actually see her for the first couple of weeks, she hid behind the sofa and only came out at night to eat her food.

Gradually she ventured out and loved cuddles. She loved the garden, bringing in a whole array of animals she caught as presents in her younger years, and could always be found basking in the sunshine.

In 2007 our daughter Ella was born and as Daisy was still quite nervous we were unsure how the new edition to our family would be greeted. We needn’t have worried, Daisy was very patient with her as a toddler and Ella and Daisy became best friends. Daisy would sit with Ella watching a film and be by her side when reading a book, often giving her neck a good scratch on the corner of the book!

She suffered with ill health over the last couple of years and was on tablets for thyroid, blood pressure and heart. She also had problems with her kidneys, but she continued to seem happy, purring loudly and loved getting up on the sink to have a drink of water from the tap.

Sadly, it was a massive tumour that got her in the end and through tears she was put to sleep whilst in my arms. Ella decorated a coffin and she was wrapped in her blanket and is now at rest in her garden. Whilst she is sorely missed I have to console myself with the fact that she had a wonderful 13 years with us, and 18-20 when she died is a fantastic age to reach.