We saw the advert in the petshop window, "Tabby girls for sale" and I just had to make a note of the number.

We telephoned and found that the family lived in the village where I taught at the school so we knew the road and pulled up outside a pleasant bungalow.

A very nice lady greeted us and we went inside to meet the mummy cat and her kittens. There were three little ones, a grey tabby whom they had decided to keep and two 'normal coloured' tabbies with white bibs and socks. Their fur was  beautifully soft and shiny and they were both lively and inquisitive.

How could we choose between them? We bought them both.

They came home and took over immediately: no sign of nervousness whatsover. They explored with their paws and noses and appeared to react favourably to their new house and family. Toby accepted them right away and allowed them to cuddle up with him and suck his fur. Kipper took a bit longer to accept the lively newcomers.

We named them Mustard and Pepper. The easiest way to tell one from the other was that Pepper had a slightly longer 'sock' on her back right leg.

The vet was most impressed  with our kittens when they went for their vaccinations and when the time came for their 'operation' we were anxious all day until we could bring them home again.

"They may be a bit sleepy and not very hungry at first" we were warned, but within a very short time the pair of them were chasing each other all round the house and climbing up the curtains.

We were so pleased that we had kept both of them. They played, explored and slept together and it was as if they gave each other confidence. Toby took over as surrogate mum and even attempted to take them hunting. One day I watched as he led them through the long grass in the field behind the house, stalking birds.

Suddenly, Mustard could stand the suspense no longer. She leapt forward and all the birds flew away. The twins watched in amazement as the objects of the chase took to the air while Toby slunk off in disgust.

It was the twins who were the first to come and live in France. The  rented house where we lived had no garden, but busy roads at the front and back, so they had to stay indoors. They soon got used to it and would sit on the window sill watching the birds on the garage roof or vie for position on the radiators.

The only problem was when they decided to use the wallpaper as a scratching post. We had to repaper the hall when we left.

They are still very close, often washing each other and cuddling up together, but, at the same time they have become more independant and will go off and 'do their own thing'. Mustard often chooses to sleep in our bedroom while Pepper prefers the armchair in the living room. Mustard is more adventurous outside and will go through the fence into the neighbour's garden while Pepper is content to stay in 'her own backyard'.

They took their time in accepting the French kittens but are now willing to play with them and have even been known to sleep on the same chair or on the bed together.

However, they have always been unpleasant to Holly and there are often spitting matches if she goes near one of them. They also gang up on her at times. I've no idea why.

They will be ten this May - quite middle-aged in cat years - maybe not quite so playful as when they were kittens but just as loveable - most of the time.