Remembering Dilly
Daffodil Snapdragon Douwsma, 2008-2025
CW: pet loss
My sister Carrie had to put her 17-year-old cat Daffodil down last Tuesday. Dilly, as she was often called, loved everyone in our family, be they human, cat, or dog. No matter how long it had been since the last time she saw any of us, she would always be delighted to see us, often coming to greet us with a happy chirp.
Dilly was just a tiny little kitten when my sister brought her home. She liked to play and bite, took naps in the wok, and would occasionally pounce on Toby, one of the older cats, when he was asleep. She loved getting treats, and really enjoyed being picked up and held, purring loudly in our arms.
Dilly and I had a particularly close bond. I remember when Carrie brought her down when she was visiting me in Riverview, and Dilly would always excitedly greet me at the door when I came home from my job, carrying her stuffed kitty in her mouth. When I had to convalesce at my parents’ house after getting my wisdom teeth pulled, she snuggled with me in bed.
We became especially close when I moved back in with my parents for two years. Even after I moved to Halifax, she would start to purr when she heard my voice on the phone, and would always happily cuddle with me whenever I came back for a visit.
She considered all the other pets her family. If a new pet came to our home, there would be the customary “who are you and what are you doing in my house” period, but it didn’t take long before Dilly would love her new family members and look out for them, especially if she could sense they were distressed.
She was especially close to her best friend Lucy, who was a foster fail. The two were inseparable, and only spent a total of two nights apart in the ten years from the day my sister brought her home as a kitten to the day Lucy had to be put down.
What I’ll remember the most about Dilly was just how much she appreciated spending time with us. She may have been Carrie’s cat, and would regularly sleep on top of her at night, but she really enjoyed everyone’s company. She was probably the happiest cat I have ever met; she knew she was loved, and she returned it.
Love you, Dilly.
This is really beautiful.
Thanks for sharing the photos and remembrances of Dilly with us. I am glad she shared a home with people who loved and cared for her. What a lovely kitty she was.