He may wear a dog collar for work, but that hasn’t stopped a popular Sidmouth Herald columnist penning a purrfect tribute to his favourite pets.

Methodist minister the Reverend Allan Bowers is best known to our readers as the author of the weekly Religion column on page two.

Previously the author of three books on Christianity, he has swapped writing about religion for an alphabetical adoration of all things feline in his latest tome from Church in the Market Place Publications.

A Cat Lover’s Alphabet is packed with poems and drawings, and Rev Bowers said he hopes it will offer lighter reading and amusement for some of the nation’s two million feline fans.

“I think cats are so interesting, so curious, so funny and so loveable – and like human beings, every one is different,” said Rev Bowers, 89, of Woolbrook Park, who doesn’t currently have a pet due to his commitment to the ministry.

“They are God-given creatures and, though we don’t always like their ways, they do give immense joy.

“I believe they can teach us many things, not least how to be quiet and even serene.”

In a nod to his 66 years as a minister, the book includes a special prayer for cat lovers, but Rev Bowers said the book mainly expresses his enduring fascination with the habits and personality of our feline friends.

His characters range from Buster the singing cat to Tibbles the hungry pet.

“All my other books have been strictly religious,” added Rev Bowers. “I’ve loved cats since I was a child and this work has been on my bookshelf ready for 30 years. I’d never really thought about putting it in the hands of a publisher.”

Rev Bowers has been an artist for 79 years, since the age of 10. There are 74 of his paintings on the walls of his bungalow.

His next publishing project is a compendium of articles he has written for the Herald over the past four years.