We both love animals and in February 2002 we decided to visit the RSPCA's Cats and Dogs Home in Bath to see if we could find any suitable furry feet to share our home.

We hadn't decided if we wanted canine or feline company, all we knew was that we didn't want puppies or kittens. We started our search in the semi-feral cat enclosures, where we found George, curled up asleep on a battered old sofa amidst the antics of at least another ten semi-feral cats.

In a neighbouring enclosure we found a volunteer "cat cuddler" who told us that George was a nine-year old semi-feral shorthair cat, with stunning brownish-grey stripe and white markings who had been living in the cats home for a little over a year and despite being slightly aggressive, he could still be persuaded to jump on to your lap for a cuddle.

She said that George needed a home which preferably had no other pets, no children and away from traffic and if possible someone at home with him for company. It was perfect, we fitted the bill and had fallen in love with him.

Then came the killer blow ... George had a special friend, an extremely nervous ginger tabby called Cammay, who had been in the cats home for over 18 months and was one of their longest residents.

In short ... No Cammay ... No George!

Despite only seeing a battered old photograph of Cammay, we decided "in for a penny, in for a pound" and if we could cope with one, we could cope with two ... the rest is history.

George settled in within days and had us wrapped around not only one but all of his paws. He had "cute" off to a fine art and knew all of the tricks to get his own way.

He was extremely affectionate, not at all aggressive and loved nothing more than to have his tummy tickled and his head scratched. He lived his life at his own laid back pace, hence his nickname "Mr Cool"

George was a brilliant support to Cammay, helping her to learn how to trust people again, and we are very proud of him and loved him very much.