Countryfile presenter Adam Henson, 59, has revealed he feared bringing 'heartache' to his family when he surprised his wife Charlie with a sickly kitten one Christmas. The couple, who have two grown-up children, Alfie and Ella, had vowed never to adopt another cat after losing their beloved pet Percy.
In his book 'Christmas on the Farm', Henson describes how he was searching for the perfect gift for Charlie when he came across a litter of kittens at a farm. Despite the family's previous promise, he decided to take one home. The farmer offered him a cat on the condition he could catch it, and after some difficulty, he managed to secure one.
However, Henson soon realised why the kitten had been easy to catch. 'She was sneezy and her little tummy was bloated; she was a sad spectacle,' he wrote. The farmer even expressed doubt that the kitten would survive, but Henson brought it home anyway, stopping for emergency supplies on the way.
Presenting the kitten to his wife, Henson admitted he would 'never have managed to keep her hidden' and that she needed 'TLC'. Charlie had mixed feelings, worried about the 'heartache' the sickly kitten might bring. Henson himself began to regret his decision when the farm vet visited later that day.
Despite the uncertain start, the kitten, named Twiglet, grew into a 'beautiful, fluffy cat' and became the family's favourite Christmas present. Henson, who describes himself as a 'dog person', said the children 'loved her to bits' and she adapted well to life on his Gloucestershire farm. Twiglet later had two litters of kittens, one of which, Frank, stayed with the family.
Henson will appear on 'Countryfile's A Cornish Christmas' on BBC One at 5.05pm on December 21, alongside Matt Baker and Anita Rani.
