Flo is the perfect combination of murder and love. She hunts through the night leaves pieces of dead things for us by the back door each morning. And with me, she is a shameless flirt. She hid in the woodshed for a year or two before she showed herself to us, and then worked on me for another year to let her in the house, which I do in the winter.

This time of year, she is delighted to be outside. But whenever I come near, she rolls over and shows her belly and tries seduction. And it always works. She is the first cat I have truly loved.