Helen Brown wasn't a cat person, but her nine-year-old son Sam was. So when Sam heard a woman telling his mum that her cat had just had kittens, Sam pleaded to go and see them. Helen's heart melted as Sam held one of the kittens in his hands with a look of total adoration. In a trice the deal was done – the kitten would be delivered to them when she was big enough to leave her mother. A week later, the family suffered a terrible tragedy. Totally traumatised by it, Helen completely forgot all about the kitten until a little black bundle of fur was delivered to her doorstep. Helen was ready to send the kitten back, but it wasn't long before Cleo's zest for life made the grieving family laugh again. Cleo went on to become the uppity high priestess of the household, vetoing visitors (in an uncannily spot-on way), terrifying dogs and building a very special bond with her human servants (aka the family).