Having read a lot about VS Naipaul, and about his sometimes cantankerous nature, I am touched to see how attached he became to his cat. It's always nice to be

Having read a lot about VS Naipaul, and about his sometimes cantankerous nature, I am touched to see how attached he became to his cat. It's always nice to be pleasantly surprised by someone. I've noticed from personal experience that it's often easier to grieve for animals than for our own relatives. The loss of my grandmother overwhelmed me so much that it could have passed for indifference. The organs of grief seemed to have been seared away, like I had stared at the sun. On the other hand I've wept over the loss of some of my pets. Coincidentally, shortly after the loss of my grandmother, I was sick for three years with all sorts of undiagnosable problems. It was only after I started feeling physically better that I recognized the depth of my grief. It felt like I might have followed her into the grave if I hadn't pulled out of it in time.