Dear LPG,

I think that if you have a pet you don’t live alone, even if there are no other people living with you. Cats are where I would say my pet-expertise comes from, although if I am honest I can only profess to know about my cats. I have two and they are my best friends. In the absence of any other occupants to share my home with, I would call them my VIHs, my Very Important Houseguests.

If you have cats you can’t help but know that they are very independent and have minds of their own, which means that from time to time I fall out with one or even both of them for being too nosey, and I get as frustrated as the next cat owner when they won’t come in at night.

I know that readers have heard all this before and that this year’s celebrations are very likely to be a relatively subdued as we continue to suffer what I sincerely hope are the very last effects of the aftermath of Covid-19, but I just want to remind the pet owners among us that even though we can all remember the cause, effects and  frustrations of last year’s total lockdown, tomorrow is the one day of the year that we should make a point of keeping them safe and just in case no one else mentions it this year I would like to.

Please keep your pets safe this bonfire night.

PK, Forest Hill