I might have been known as 'Catwoman' at one time, becausewe had five cats. No, don't say it. I understand neutering pets (or at least the vet.does).If lost kittens did not find their way to our doorstep, my daughters found starving creatures who had lost their way home.

New members of the colony learnt the pawing order of the tribe,who was TopCat and who got pushed to the side.

Two weren't too keen on each other butanother two shared a chair, blissfully wrapped around each other. My husband used to say he had to look carefully before sitting down in case a cat was sleepingbeneath a cushion.

Cats were highly honoured in ancient Egypt and in our house, too. One day Isat on the edge of the chair to eat a mealbecauseI did not want to disturb the sleeping feline behind me. I remember Peter saying: 'This is being ridiculous. Move that cat so that you can sit comfortably'.

Cats and babies are very alike. (I'm thinking word associations: 'cat's cradle, 'the cat who got the cream' etc).They like warmth, food and love and, if possible, they'll share your bed with you. We drew the line at cats in the bed.

Most 'professionals' (there are many, many of them) advise against letting babies 'have their way' - ie enjoy the comfortof sleeping next to their parents.

There's lots of advice online about bringing up children, too. One very popular blog is 'Mumsnet'. (I've never been on it butthere are those who are addicted to it.) I don't know their views on letting babies sleep with their parents, but there are quite a few 'earth mothers' out there.

I used to hear motherscomplaining they'd never had a night's sleep since their child was born three years previously.Not so in our house.If one of ours awoke, she would get into bed with us and immediately fall into a deep sleep. ('Those two are like you. Nothing much disturbs them', Peter would say enviously.)

Now this is not merely a ramble about my methods of parenting but pertinent to latest research.

(Think nuclear physics, please). Thisresearch (it cost thousands of pounds and the way Greece is going I do tend to questionmoney spent on anything useless) but, wouldn't you know? Children who sleep with their parents are far less stressed and more relaxed throughout their livesthan those who are put in cots.

I know of some other research, published a few years ago, based on patterns of parenting in ethnic communities in Cardiff. Theseimmigrants often have children sleeping in the parental bed and they have less cot deaths.Whythis should be (perhaps the parents have a closer awareness of children's breathing sounds, or changes in vital functionings) I don't know but statistics back it.

The Great Bed of Weare could sleep up to sixteen people (take yourboots off before getting in, of course) and perhaps they were smaller in those days. Beds have featured extensively in history and, just to let you know, Shakespeare left his second best bed to his wife and I was born in Mamgu's feather bed on a cold winter's night.

So, shouldmy end be in my beginning, it's going to work out alright, as long as the cats get off the bed.