There’s all sorts of lovely research on how good pets are for your health and well being. But I don’t need to read any of that, I have plenty of anecdotal evidence and loads of real life experience.

The best thing that I love about having a pet is that they give you an excuse to take a Pussy Cat Pause. A furry kind of procrastination. I guess it’s a little like a smoker ducking outside for a fag. When I see a beautiful specimen of felinity longing about, sunning itself, twitching in dream….I can’t stop myself.

I pat. I nuzzle. I rub my entire face into the neck area. Talk stupid. Kiss and compliment. And generally just annoy the shit out of them. But the beautiful thing about pets is that they let you do it and they love you for it too.