With Felix becoming increasingly adventurous, it is time to give him his freedom. He is now seven months old which some cat-years-to-human-years calculators put at 12 years of age, not quite the 21 human years required to have a key to the door.

The vet’s advice to keep him indoors for the first 10 months seems an impossible undertaking, especially in this warm weather when we have doors and windows open.

Confined to the house overnight, Felix was waking me in the wee small hours to be let out – having decided that his litter tray is beyond the pale. Then I would lie awake worrying about him getting into fights with the big cats – or the rats in the woodpile – and would watch for him asking to be let back in.

Last year – or was it the year before? – vowing never to have a cat or dog again, I had a glazier remove the old cat and dog doors. The glazier came back in the weekend and cheerfully installed a microchip cat door. The door is smart, and recognises Felix’s microchip, so no other cats can come in.

Felix learned to use it in no time.

I put a step made of books on the inside and a nail box step outside. The books include A Guide to Places of the World and James Herriot stories, both of which I thought appropriate.

I still worry about Felix being out at all hours, getting lost or stolen, running out onto the road or getting into fights, but so far so good and at least I get to sleep!