Tilly was just a tiny gal when Will picked her out at Nevada Humane Society. This was long before the shelter was a no-kill organization, and therefore many animals were losing their lives unnecessarily. Tilly, with her long black fur, was more than likely overlooked by people on a daily basis, as studies show that black pets in general are usually the last to be adopted (the why will come in another blog). Despite her looks though, Tilly was one of the lucky ones. Will knew that she was the one for him, and in essence, he saved her life, because her stay at the shelter would have been very short lived.
Fast forward eight years, which equates to a year ago. Will
was battling a severe cancer. Facing the worst, we knew his time is limited,
and so did Tilly. Over time she became the kind of cat who spent more time
outdoors than in, and although she loved him, she was also fiercely
independent. As she discovered that something was seriously wrong with Will,
she took to him more than ever. She stayed by his side day and night, and made
it a point to watch over him and protect him as best she could. In the middle
of all of this, people would come and go, pay their respects and offer help, as
we all tried to make the best of the inevitable. Throughout it all, no one
mentioned Tilly, nor did anyone make any effort to plan her future.
Brandon knew she was important to Will, and knows that
animals are my passion. He briefly mentioned one day the idea of us taking her
in… but we didn’t discuss it fully. I knew in my heart that there was no
decision to be made—if Tilly needed help we would give it to her.
The day we all knew would come arrived, and Brandon, along
with several others, spent the day with Will. It was clear to Brandon that Will
was hanging on to something, that something was left unsaid, something was
keeping him unsettled. He noticed that Tilly hadn’t left Will’s side all day,
and when he looked her in the eyes, he saw her pain. Leaning in to Will, he
spoke the words that would make the most difference to his friend in his final
hours. He told Will that Tilly would be in good hands, that we would keep her
as long as it would take to find her a home of her own. He promised she would
be happy, and that Will would not have to wonder if she was ok—we would give
her the life she deserved.
Will passed away that night and Tilly remained at the house
for the next several days. She needed to grieve, as did we, but it wasn’t long
before Brandon and I took her home for good.
Tilly came to us with all of her belongings. I have learned
how easily cats get stressed out and that by keeping their things, their scent,
with them it helps prevent any unnecessary stress. We wanted to make the
transition as easy as possible for her.
Tilly moved into our home, separate at first from our existing brood
(because who are we kidding—our 3 cats and 3 dogs are quite the family!) but
then right into the mix of things. It definitely kept the spice in our life! Tilly
has a very vibrant, strong, bold personality. She lets you know when she needs
her space, but yet portrays the attitude of running the house. Our other pets
bowed to her instantly, and she knew it. Her feisty cattitude even had us
fearful at times! She joined us on the couch one evening and sat next to me, tail
going strong. I was just waiting for her to give me a piece of her mind, but
luckily, she didn’t. However, for all of her ornery characteristics, she
definitely had a sweet side, which is especially revealed when she is alone
with people (yes that means no other pets). She is gorgeous, and she wears it
well. She loves to sun herself in a window, relax on the back of a fluffy couch
cushion, and play. And treats! You should see her beg for a treat! We fell in
love, cattitude and all.
Tilly resided with us for over three months, but we knew she
deserved better. We promised Will we would care for her as long as was needed,
but we also knew it wasn’t the best situation for her or our pets. She wasn’t
as happy as she could be, and after all she went through, that wasn’t ok with
us. She deserved better, so we set out to find it.
We promoted Tilly to our friends, family, and colleagues.
She graced the pages of Facebook, Craigslist, and more. We found one potential
home, but then decided they weren’t the right fit. Another couple of weeks went
by, and then we found Dana, a regular at Wet Hen Café, Brandon’s restaurant.
She saw our poster and wanted to know more. Not long after, we brought Tilly to
Dana’s home for their first meeting. It was love at first sight.
Tilly made herself at home right away. She fell for Dana,
and Dana, for her. Her one kitty sibling is Simon, and he has enough sense to
know that she rules the roost—even though he was there first! We spoke to Dana
the other day and she verified what we knew would happen. Tilly is flourishing,
loves her surroundings, is queen of all the neighborhood cats, and her home.
Dana is so grateful to have brought Tilly into her life and has gone above and
beyond giving her the life she deserves. Simon has even been a good match for
Tilly, giving her the space she needs but still expressing that kitty love when
he can. Secretly, we know Tilly enjoys his company, as the two can be found
sunning the same spot, or waiting for mom to come home at the end of a long
day. We were so happy when Tilly moved on to a new life with Dana, and we talk
about her frequently. When we visited Dana the other day, just after the one
year anniversary of Will’s passing, it became even clearer that she, Dana,
brought so much to those of us who cared for Tilly, and Will. Tilly needed
someone who was there for her, just as Will did, and as hard as it was to see
him pass, it is so amazingly joyful to know Tilly is in a better place. Looking
over the four-legged has become second nature to me, but this strikes my heart
for so many other reasons. We can’t wait to go visit Tilly, but until then, we
know she’s happy as can be in her new home, with her big-hearted person, and we
wish them the very best every day that they are together.
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