Introducing two animals who normally despise each other is a delicate business to say the least. We orchestrated our puppy and kitten’s first meetings carefully, because we didn’t want the kitten to pack her bags and move out, as Miss C’s kitten had done many years ago. So we were all about carefully rationed together-time, with lots of pats and treats for quiet, brave behaviour.

At first their relationship resembled the Simpleton and the Spinster. The dog would make cheerful approaches to a spitting kitten and back right off with a good-natured “Ah. I see you’re not in the mood right now. I’ll come back later, then.”

As the weeks passed they started to play together, and now their relationship looks more the cool guy and the little sister with a schoolgirl crush. Mei Mei wants Jack’s attention ALL THE TIME. If he dares to take a moment to sit quietly she will scoot around behind him and swat his tail until he brainsnaps and goes after her again.

It’s all very cute, but unfortunately for my peace of mind, their favourite games are Kill The Cat and Chase Me. This pits Jack’s ten kilos against Mei Mei’s two, and as these games tend to take place on polished wood floors, they usually result in Jack aquaplaning, paws splayed, into a tiny, cornered kitten.

Advice on letting dogs chase cats vary. Some say you should never let your dog chase your cat, others say if they’re forbidden to play chase, the dog will get obsessed and never learn that chasing the cat is futile. We tend to let them chase, while making sure, of course, that Mei Mei always has somewhere to escape. My favourite moments are when I call Jack and he runs to me with a tiny kitten in hot pursuit.

But don’t get me started on the wrestling. For a fortnight there Mei Mei was constantly getting dog-slimed. And she kept going back for more, like a scrappy little Aussie Digger. She was a wrestling fiend and it was doing my head in. I was convinced that she was going to get hurt, and although people told me the dog was in more danger than the kitten, not once did I see her fight back. She seemed to prefer to register her protests verbally. Irish called it the “Chomp Chomp Meow Meow Game”.

Fortunately, I was able to get some good advice on the dog forums and from a puppy trainer. Just supervise their play, they said, and call little “time outs” when things get too rough for my liking. We also make a point of picking up and patting Mei Mei if she squeals, to let Jack see that we value her safety.

After a few weeks, thankfully, Mei Mei doubled in size and can hold her own in a battle. And we are now enjoying ever-increasing Hallmark Moments when our dog and cat sit quietly, side by side, like a funny-looking but cute lion and lamb.