When we came along to view the cats two summers ago, there was a man washing the windows, and all the cats were very nervous, except for one, Tabby, who came running out and miaowed loudly - talking to us. My boyfriend instantly fell for her, and we adopted her.

The centre didn't know much about her, but they knew that she hated other cats, wasn't keen on children and she could be very grumpy, all in all we were told that she'd never be a lap cat. 

We renamed her Porridge, and for a few months she was very stressed out. She lived in my bedroom mainly, running and hiding around the house - scared of every sound - very different to the confident cat we'd seen in the centre. We worried that maybe our house wasn't the right place for her. But we persevered, showed her lots of love and attention. She suffered from scratching and biting syndrome and would turn aggressive sometimes seconds after purring whilst being stroked.

Two years later, and how things have changed! If you sit down on the sofa reading papers, Porridge comes and demands that she sit on your lap, if you lie on the bed, she'll curl on your back. She's still very chatty, and recognises her name. She doesn't like coming in through her cat-flap and will 'knock' on the door to try and get us to open the back door for her. If we stick our heads out the window to see what all the fuss is about, she'll look up and wail to be let in. She rushes to greet people when they come home, and plays like a kitten pouncing and chasing her toys through the house. She's quite eccentric, and has a foot fetish, especially after you've bathed, she'll come dashing to curl around clean legs and feet! Sometimes when my boyfriend and I talk about something that infuriates us, she gets very concerned - as if she's worried we're fighting, and will come and try and sit on our chests to calm us down. She seems to chat to the local squirrel which is hysterical to watch. She doesn't like being picked up, and can still be a bit grumpy, but overall she's generally very confident and happy. 

I've included some pictures of Porridge half asleep on a lap - to prove that she turned into a lap cat after all! We love her, and want to apologise for not giving you an update sooner!!