Lilly

Lilly, or Miss Lilly as I called her was a feral cat rescued from Dana Point Harbor in 1999 and came to Blue Bell with her "sisters" Penny and Tabitha. They may not have been related but they were extremely close. Tabitha and Penny would always be curled up in a bowl or outside in a box in the sun together, with Lilly not far away – acting in a motherly or older sister type role.

Penny used to sleep with a small stuffed monkey and when she passed away in 2008, Lilly carried that stuffed monkey around in her mouth crying out loud for weeks after. She settled down and then took on Penny’s role with Tabitha –snuggling with her in her bed or outside in the sun together. Although she was feral and you could not touch her, she trusted those she knew well and would let you put her meals and treats right in front of her and was quite comfortable and relaxed in her home. She enjoyed playing with toy mice, snacking on cat treats of all kinds and sneaking some of Tabitha’s special lunch food. She began losing weight a few months ago and started eating a little less but was still very active – going out on the patio and enjoying the fresh air and sun.

The heavy rains of December 22nd caused a massive mud and debris flow and flood which wiped out the Lower House, the building where Lilly and the other ferals and special needs cats live. All of the cats were rescued and evacuated to the Upper House. Unfortunately, Lilly was not able to recover from the stress of this event and passed away in her sleep just seven days later.

Tabitha will miss her greatly as will I. She’s with Penny now and together they are watching over their sister Tabitha and looking forward to the day they can all run and play together again.