Gem was given to us as a gift in September 1990. He was a real character - he used to chase us down the garden, grabbing at our ankles if we didn't run fast enough.
He once made the kids wake me up as he wouldn't let them into the kitchen to get their breakfast, he was hiding behind the sofa and jumped out on them every time they tried to open the door !
He used to sit on the roof of my car and "tart" himself whenever anyone walked passed, especially with little ones in pushchairs. the local kids have grown up stroking him on the way to and from school.
he used to walk with us down the road, but only as far as the canal bridge, where he would wait on a ledge to race us back home again.
he would go to the vets next door and jump into people's cars - many times people have had to come back and let him out !
He was such a wonderful cat that died at the age of 16 from cancer to his jaw.
it grew so rapidly that it broke his jaw.
It broke our heart's to lose him and he is always thought of every day when i park on my drive where he used to sit waiting for me to come home from work.
