It wasn’t part of the plan – not at all. On Christmas Eve, Mrs Mole, a neighbour, mentioned that she was looking for a home for a stray cat. His owners had moved away, and left the cat to fend for himself in the back yards of Shepherd’s Bush. Another neighbour had fed him but was going off on a long trip. Mrs Mole said she had taken the cat in, but could not keep him because of her dog. The cat in question was Leo, a grumpy-looking Bagpuss with a grey coat and folded-down ears. I’d seen him once or twice, gingerly stalking his way across our back wall, which operates as a sort of highway for local foxes and cats. And I’d thought he was a fine-looking cat. Well, we mice are not generally reputed to be fans of cats, for the simple reason that they are perpetually...
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