I decided to relate Tatiana's story because she means so much to me. She is also part of and a continuation of Bill, my late husband, because she shared our bed for eight years. She is my doughty, plucky, four-legged friend who takes the bite out of living alone. After she had a very sad, troubled kittenhood, we adopted her. Soon she established herself as the chief occupant of our large home. Our days together began not with a cup of tea but with playing with Tatiana because she would usually be patiently and inquisitively staring at us while we woke up. Her chirruping noise was a greeting to entice us to play her games.I was born in Dublin, Ireland, the only girl in a family of six boys. My parents, Catherine and Joseph, ran a cattle farm about twenty-five minutes from Dublin City Center. At an early age, I was sent to a private boarding school for young ladies. I decided to study biomedical science and later worked in Trinity College, Dublin; Ira; and the University of Zurich, Switzerland, where my husband, Tom, soon joined me when he took up a position as an academic institute in Switzerland. We traveled worldwide privately and for business. While we were on business in Turkey, Tom died suddenly from a brain hemorrhage. Through this trauma, I was alone and also had to return to Ireland for his funeral. Then I went to Switzerland to take over my late husband's directorship of our international management institute.

Four years later, I met Bill out of the blue - a manna from heaven. After sixteen years of bliss, dear Bill died suddenly too. My trauma once more was unbearable.

Now I am with my little gem, my cat Tatiana, who has been with me through thick and then and whose story is now published.