Pet's Age
8

Pet's City
Carmel and San Antonio

Pet's Story or Bio
Tilley is an 8-year old, long haired grey female who was among two litters of kittens I trapped after they were abandoned in Brackenridge Park, Texas (where I led that park’s conservancy). Tilley was in bad shape when I trapped her, she had been on her own for at least a week hanging around a feral colony where food and water was provided by volunteers, she was around a month old.

At that time (early June 2013), we were scheduled to leave for our summer vacation to Carmel, where we have owned a home since 2004. Tilley and the other six trapped kittens were too young for a shelter and no foster could be found. Facing no choice, we loaded everyone up for the road trip, the recently captured kittens and our two cats too, and off we went to California, it was an adventure.

Safely arriving but with many stories to tell of the journey, The SPCA of Monterey County assisted us with vetting the kittens and eventually helping us find homes for a couple of them. Tilley spent some time with the SPCA but was deemed “unadoptable” for her fearful behavior, no doubt the result of being abandoned so young in an unknown and hostile environment. I believe she suffered, and still does to some extent, from PTSD. Nevertheless, with no other acceptable options for her, she became part of our feline family.

It has been a long road for Tilley and for us. Thanks, in great part to the mothering love of her most trusted feline friend, Anette, (Miss June SPCA 2022) who also was abandoned and trapped in that same park, Tilley was taught the concept of happiness and trust. Sadly, Anette lost her battle with cancer recently and Tilley has struggled with that loss.

Coming back to Carmel for the summer has helped Tilley recover, she was only weeks old when she first came here and I think she considers Carmel home!