It happened accidentally – “There are no accidents” – thank you, I know and yet it went something like this: I moved into my apartment, a lovely illegal 1970’s rooftop add-on, in Rome about one year ago. I was well aware that there was a roof cat bopping around 6 floors up who’d never put his feet on actual ground – kind of romantic no? His name, I discovered, was Porchetto, which means “little pig”. If you add on an “s” and call him Sporchetto it would mean “little dirty thing”, which would also be appropriate. I don’t know how he does it but he always finds something awful to roll in. Plus he’s getting on in years and his hips aren’t what they were (if they were ever good) so his personal hygiene habits are limited by his restricted movement. I appropriated a grooming brush. Sigh. Why me? I’ll tell you why – because he is simply the coolest cat to ever have graced the rooftops. I know everyone thinks their cat/dog/boyfriend/mother/pizza dough are the best – but I have a special reason for my claim. Most cats will be friendly when they feel like it and particularly when they are hungry. You give them something to eat and then they give you the cold shoulder. Porchetto is more interested in affection than he is in food. I can tell, because he’s kind of skanky, that he’s not used to love and cuddles. Sad but true. He’s been alone for a long time – and now he’s found someone who loves him he has this really surprised look on his face - he’s too amazed for food to be all that important right now! When I put his food out he eats a bit and then comes to me for cuddles, then back to food, then more cuddles etc etc… and I find it the most endearing thing. I told my friend Alice that I’d given in and officially adopted Porchetto because I love him to pieces and because by my estimation he’s about 15 years old, has dodgy hips and a funny dreadlock hair style going on, so he probably won’t be with us much longer. She threw her head back and laughed, “That’s what you think – he’ll outlive us all!” Apparently I fell for the oldest trick in the catbook – he acted a bit pathetic, I took pity and now I am a cat owner. But here’s the thing about ownership – whatever I own, also owns me – be it a cat, a cell phone, an apartment, or another person’s heart… these things can bring beauty but also control us at times. I’m looking forward to finding the balance… in the end I think we can save each other, little pig and I... I bet that's the first time in the history of the world that anyone has ever written that sentence...