Bride of Smelly- for My Mum

Smelly is Carmen's cat. His real name is Tin but I've been calling him Smelly since he came to the flat in Avilés and left us a gift right in the middle of the bed. And Carmen's cat is smelly. After a week in the flat there was a catty odour that pervaded everything.

He comes to visit from the village periodically because he is not neutered and goes out at night to fight with the other toms. Since he is not a good fighter he comes back with scratches all over his head and ears, miaows pathetically and requires medical attention. Being a patient animal, he allows us to wipe him down with betadine and wash the seeds and cowshit out of his fur in the shower without complaining.

I've grown quite fond of Smelly. This is a big surprise to me because I have never wanted pets and was initially a little dismayed by Carmen's evident desire to mount a small menagerie with Nicolás.

The latest addition is the rabbit whose name is Nube or Cloud. He is white with black rims around his eyes and is completely devoted to Carmen whom he follows around the patio, tripping her up as he runs in front of her feet. Carmen calls him Nubecita, which is a very girly name for a rabbit with eyes that look like they have been painted with mascara. I prefer his other name- El Bandido or The Bandit- which gives his eye patches another connotation. As he watches me with his nose bobbing up and down I get the feeling he is planning something evil.

The affection that Carmen has for the animals and the affection and devotion they return to her is charming. Even when she is pushing El Bandido out of the flowerpots with a broom she shows nothing more than a slight passing irritation and within a few moments will be crouched down caressing his ears. Initially nervous, he has learnt to be more trusting and affectionate from her.

I suppose that goes for me as well. When I was a student I ribbed my mum that she wrote a letter to me all about the cat and, being young and cynical, couldn't imagine being a pet-lover. Being cynical can seem smart but it is rarely wise: my mum stopped writing about the cat and, to be honest, I missed it. When I told Carmen about the cat letter, she said, 'Claro. ¿Y qué imaginabas? Of course, and what did you think would happen?'

The other day another cat appeared on the terrace. It was Smelly's girlfriend. I had seen her before. She came down over the roof and miaowed at Smelly then he got up from his bed and followed her off over the houses. That makes it sound as if he is a romantic but, when I gave her milk and some food this time, he showed every sign of being annoyed at me.

'That's my bowl,' he seemed to be thinking. 'And what's more, you don't give me milk in it.'

I don't give Smelly milk because Carmen insists that I have to warm the milk in a saucepan first. 'You can't just give him milk straight out of the fridge,' she says. 'He won't drink it. We've always warmed his milk.' This seems to be carrying devotion to your animals too far but, as I find Carmen's attention to these little things so enchanting, I don't discount the possibility that I might find myself warming the little prince's milk one of these days.

As you have probably noticed, finding the right name for an animal is important to me. Bride of Smelly tickles me because it sounds like the title of a horror film and the cat is hardly cute. She has a weak eye so she looks as though she is about to wink at you. Winky and Squint don't quite do it for me so I am still looking for the right name.

Of course Carmen finds it highly amusing that I am putting out milk for Bride of Smelly. 'I bet you never imagined you would be digging a vegetable garden and caring for cats,' she laughs. It's true. If I could be a little less smart and a lot more gentle I think I would enjoy life a lot more. It's a piece of good luck to have found someone I admire so much to learn these things from.