Lily from Tetford

by Simon John Wood
(Tetford, Lincolnshire)

Lily was born on my birthday in 2002, in my house: one of four siblings, all of whom I kept, although her sister, Ginny, was killed on the road in 2004.

I still have her two brothers, Oscar and Tiffin, so they are 14 years, four months old.

Lily was so affectionate and would throw herself at people's feet to be stroked. You could stroke her belly and she would never scratch or bite.

She loved bags, and would hide inside carrier bags when she was young, and would always try to get into guitar cases, etc.

She would sleep on my bed and when I'd got up and gone downstairs, she would go under the quilt and sometimes spend the whole day sleeping there!

Lily was cleverer than her brothers, and straight away could use a food maze that Oscar and Tiffin never got the hang of.

Likewise, they had their dry food in tubes to cut down on gorging. They had to put their paws in and fetch the food out.

Lily did it straight away but the boys had to be trained. Tiffin took a couple of days and Oscar a week!

Lily was always thin and wiry and could leap several feet horizontally between my neighbor's sheds. One day I remember her running out of the cat flap and half-way up a tall eucalyptus tree!

She would often lie on my lap and if I wanted to get up I would whisper "I gotta go." At that she would usually miaow and jump straight off!

Being a primarily white cat, she developed a melanoma of the ear a couple of years ago, the tip of which was surgically removed. The cancer returned and she deteriorated rapidly over the last few weeks and had to be put to sleep today.

She was a wonderful companion and I will really miss her.

RIP Lily 27/3/2002 - 19/7/16.