The Random Cat Project

In Under The Paw, I wrote about my habit of befriending random cats on the street. I still do this - pretty much any time I can, actually - and will happily make myself late for any appointment, however crucial, for five minutes of chat with, say, a ginger Tom who happens to be wandering about at the side of the road, but I think I was particularly zealous about my pursuit of random cats during the one period in my life when I was catless, at the end of the 90s, in London. In fact, I'm not quite sure "befriending" was the right term. "Marrying" might have been nearer the mark. The founders of www.randomcatproject.com are both based in London, amidst "conditions that do not support pet ownership", so, in tribute to the "bittersweet experience" of a fleeting cat encounter, they've set up this wonderful website, which asks people to film or photograph their encounters with random cats, and summarise their personalities. I particularly like that they also ask for a "Possible cat name". Why not take a picture of a moggy next time you go on your travels and send it over to them?