I SPEND £1K ON MY CAT!

Christmas is the ideal opportunity for Karen Smith, 56, to shower her beloved pet with presents

- WORDS: KATE GRAHAM, KERRY HARDEN

Mesmerised by the deep blue eyes staring back at me from my screen, I typed out a message. 'When can we meet?' I said. It was February 2019, and after seeing pictures on social media, I'd fallen in love. Coco was the most beautiful kitten I had ever seen. My partner Dave, then 53, and I had often discussed getting a cat, but living in a one-bed flat, we'd agreed it wasn’t the right time. Until I'd spotted this post on Facebook advertising a kitten looking for a loving home.

Some local teens had found a cat abandoned by the side of the road and called him Coco. He was the cutest brown and white ball of fluff and, as soon as I set eyes on him, I knew I had to have him.

Dave, a comedian, was out at a gig, and I didn’t have time to even check with him before I booked an Uber and arranged to collect Coco that night. He was just as adorable as his photos and, as he buried his little fluffy head into my chest, I knew I'd done the right thing.

I brought him home and set up a bed of blankets and when Dave got home from work, around midnight, and spotted Coco snuggled up, his eyes widened in shock.