A letter to my cats, all of whom have come from The Blue Cross, to explain why I participated in the Virgin London Marathon 2010 ...

Dear Pusscats,

In your very different ways, all four of you have made a real difference to my life over the past eight years. In addition to being a leading cause of sleep disturbance and sneezing, your little furry faces and happy miaows have brought joy and delight. From the midnight howling of (Princess) Stripey to the early morning chirrup of Streaky, home has reverberated with the sounds, smells and sights of four of the most affectionate and beloved cats.

Amazingly, all four of you were double-rescue cats from The Blue Cross. Having been whisked away from The Blue Cross home once, Stripey and Whitey found themselves homeless again through no fault of their own. Fortunately, I became aware of their predicament and brought them home, albeit only as a "temporary" measure (ha, ha). More recently, Splashy and Streaky had been brought to The Blue Cross from the home of a cat hoarder. Having become totally inseparable, you were cared for by The Blue Cross for seven long months before I spotted you on the adoption section of The Blue Cross website and, ten days later, brought you home.

The Blue Cross provides medical care and homes for many, many thousands of animals in the UK each year. Without their incredible efforts, cats, dogs, horses and animals of all shapes and sizes would be much worse off. Because of this I jogged the London Marathon in 2010 to raise money on behalf of The Blue Cross. I am hoping that people will give money to support me on behalf of the four of you and all the other animals currently being cared for.

Your loving foster parent,

Nicole