When you've been working in the veterinary profession for 25 years, you see an awful lot of cats - and since 99% of them are adorable, it takes a special cat to grab your attention.

It takes a very special cat to get a half a million pound veterinary practice named after him.

Ayrton was a very special cat.

Ayrton adopted Gillian and Tony in 1997 and until he left them in 2003 provided friendship, love and laughter beyond measure. He was named after the F1 racing driver Ayrton Senna. Such was the quality of his character that naming the practice after him was the least they felt they could do.

Typical Ayrton story: A group of workmen in JCBs were digging up ground to lay pipes outside their house. Some time during the construction chaos of the morning one of the workers appeared at the door asking apologetically if they owned a black and white cat. Gillian's dread filled answer "yes" was met with a request to please come and take him out of the driver's cab because he was holding up work.