Our little baby Thora passed away on August 11th. She'd been ill for a while - first stomach problems, then pneumonia and finally just a gradual all-round weakening. We kept deciding to have her euthanised - and then she'd find a reserve of energy from somewhere and greet us with her sweet, friendly meow and our hearts would melt again.

On the 11th, she'd been fading very fast for a few days, and we'd decided the time had come. We called Dr Pawan and he agreed to come over at night to administer the injection.

At around 5 PM I was lying in bed with Thora near my feet. Over the last few days, all her friends had come to spend a little time with her. All the kittens she had looked after like a little mother hen - Kek, Kauket, Rukmini, Elli, Desmond, UFO, Clio. Her friends Sahara and Freddie. The little kitten who'd grown to be her best friend and co-conspirator in sitting around in extremely cute calendar poses, Calliope. Gubbi, the dog who came home a day before her and had watched over her as a weak, faltering kitten. Each of them had a little special time to cuddle with her. Thora was the most social and friendly cat I've ever known.

Earlier that evening, Elli thoroughly groomed Thora before leaving the room to eat. Calliope and I remained in the room. Now and then Thora would leave the bed to go find some dark corner to huddle in - cats tend to do this when they sense the end is near. Each time, I would pick her up and bring her back. Everytime I patted her, she found the energy for a weak little purr. In case she was thirsty, I wetted her mouth with some water. She was already too weak to eat anyhing.

Finally, she settled down for a while, and I lay down reading a book. After a few minutes I looked up. Thora had made to wander off again, and she lay there perfectly still, arrested in the middle of getting up. I went up to her. She wasn't breathing. No heartbeat. I waited for a while and watched. The few last fleas were leaving her body, sensing that their host was no more.

I know it could have made no difference to her at that point, but I closed her eyes and moved her into a more comfortable position. My little baby Thora was no more.

I had to wait until much later that evening before Yasmine was back and we could bury her. When I went to fetch her body, I found that Calliope had lain down next to Thora's body, hugging her and keeping a last vigil. The calendar calicos had manged one last pose, and it was a show-stopper.

We buried her up in our rooftop garden, the garden that she had climbed up to so slowly and painfully so many times as a frail kitten longing for warmth. We placed a flower pot over the spot. I think that's when it really hit me. She's gone now.

Goodbye, Thora.