I continue to worry, though, about what will happen when they finally meet their new home. How will they handle the stress? Cats are less flexible than dogs about strange environments, and right now, I'm trying to prepare myself for any behavioural changes the gang might show.

Through my mind amble stories that readers have told me of their own cats in similar situations.

May, a lady in Chiang Mai, once sent me a long e-mail about her wonderful cat, Kratong, who owned the apartment house where they both lived. When May went off to work each day, Kratong would visit friends, a little girl who lived on the floor above, the elderly lady on the ground floor, before spending the rest of the day with the guard, who gave her all the treats she wanted.

Two days after May moved to a much more modern flat a few blocks away, Kratong fell ill. The vet said she had a lung infection and gave her antibiotics. Kratong recovered, but a week later, she fell ill again, and the vet administered more antibiotics.

For six months, May spent her time between the office and the vet's, watching as Kratong steadily grew weaker. "My cat is dying," she thought. Before non-cat people giggle, they should know that it is possible that Kratong really was dying, unable to cope with the stress of being away from her territory and the people she knew.

To her credit, May realised what was happening and took steps. She cancelled her lease and moved back to the old, dilapidated flat, where Kratong was welcomed by the whole apartment house. Within a day, the cat recovered completely.

Not all cats are so dedicated to their old home, nor so fortunate as to have such a flexible owner. Another reader told me this story about his cat, a tabby lady who somehow walked into his sixth-floor flat one day and took over the premises.

The man worked for an international organisation. After a few years in Thailand, his organisation moved him to Cambodia, then Vietnam. The cat went with him, settling in comfortably wherever fate - and her owner - took her.

Nine years later, he (and his cat) were sent back to Bangkok. Fate stepped in again. The man was able to rent the same flat that he'd lived in so many years before. When he opened the cat carrier, he expected his cat to exit cautiously, with her tail down and her body close to the ground as if she were in new surroundings. Instead, as soon as she stuck her nose outside, she let out a cry and, without any hesitation, jumped to what had been her favourite spot on the balcony, where she went to sleep.

Even flexible felines, I guess, keep memories of their old home in their hearts.

Questions about your pets? Fax (02) 751 4446 or e-mail laurie@nationgroup.com.