Tilly – RIP

The last couple of weeks have not been a good start to the year. In the middle of my illness last week it became apparent that Miss Tilly, who shared my life for the last 10 years, and my sister’s life for 6 years before that was considerably more unwell than I was. Last Tuesday I had to take her to the vet for the last time and make the horrible decision that the time had come for her to be put to sleep.

Tilly came into my life at a time of family crisis, when my sister had given birth to my twin nephews and my offer to help that situation was to take the cat. This meant an epic journey from Yorkshire to Bridge of Allan which was punctuated by much yarling, even though a sedative had been applied. In retrospect, I suspect that things would have been easier if the sedative had been applied to me rather than to her.

Tilly was a cat of an extraordinary personality who left her mark (sometimes literally) on those who encountered her. Whilst living in Bridge of Allan, her job was to deal with mice and spiders, twin tasks which she accomplished whenever she felt like it. Whilst not on mouse duty, her favourite pastimes included bird spotting (she would chatter to them freely) and bat watch (which could occupy many a happy evening). Her ability to deal successfully with snakes was noted on this blog on St Patrick’s day in 2005.

It was not always clear what religion she followed. An early interest in joining me for the recitation of the Daily Office made me wonder whether she was an Episcopalian. When I realised that she liked me singing the psalms I wondered whether she was Jewish. Later I realised that she simply believed that all worship was directed towards herself. She only rarely went to church though her appearance at my nephews’ baptism when she was seen on the altar leaping over the dressed chalice from one side to another 10 minutes before the service began will stay with me forever. She was a great advocate of water from the Holy Shrine of Knock.

In the firey crucible of Bridge of Allan politics she adopted an attitude of disdain to all local political activists though was widely believed by Bridge of Allan Liberal Democrats to be a member of the Bridge of Allan Conservative party. Her fury at my standing in a General Election knew no bounds.

Tilly was at least as opinionated as I am. Diffidence and belligerence were her stock in trade. She bit evangelicals and regarded couples looking to discuss upcoming weddings as fair game. Many tried to charm her though she had little interest in charm itself.

However, she and I had an accommodation that went far deeper than ever it could have done by simply trying to tame the passion which never left her to the end. The first six months of our acquaintance were not an easy time. However eventually, Miss T decided that I was worth it and astonished me by beginning to purr, something which she then continued every day for the rest of her life. It was a sound which I hear in its absence every day still.

She enjoyed tremendously bad health for many years and together we learned so many techniques for dealing with her ailments in entertaining ways. Whether linctus had to be rubbed on her (our) paws, ointment put in her eyes or her pee collected at regular intervals, we coped. The giving of pills morning and evening in her latter days became something of a source of pride to both of us and could even be accomplished whilst on the telephone to admiring friends. It was suggested that the giving of the pill routine could in fact be featured on Britain’s Got Talent.

People from St Mary’s will know less of Tilly than members of my former congregation in Bridge of Allan. They knew her as housekeeper of the Rectory and from her appearances on this blog. On moving to Glasgow when I came to take up the post of Provost here, Miss Tilly decided to leave public life and lived an inactive and satisfied retirement since then.

I’ve known many people ask whether their animals have souls or go to heaven, even people who are uncertain of their own attitude to their own mortality and what lies beyond. For those who have loved and bonded with an animal its hard to imagine that heaven could be heaven without them. Several of those who knew Tilly have volunteered the opinion this week that she’s likely to be sitting impatiently by the gate of heaven waiting. If she is, St Peter should mind his ankles.

The last couple of weeks have been a horrible start to the new year. However, my deep sadness at losing Tilly has to be matched by a sense of thankfulness for the life she lived and the companionship that we shared. She was never happier than playing with wool and I choose to remember her wearing a strand as an Easter bonnet as pictured above.

Actually, the truth is, she was only really engaged in playing with wool if I was at the other end of it.

For that, and for countless other reasons, she is very much missed and the tears have been many.