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Tilly: The Ugliest Cat: How I Rescued Her and She Rescued Me
A heart-warming true account of how the ugliest cat found a home at last.
Tilly has spent most of her adult life in an Oxfordshire shelter, unchosen, unwanted and practically feral. Seeking a distraction from her own troubles, the author and renowned pet columnist, Celia Haddon begins a project to transform Tilly into a household pet.
Through Tilly's journey from unwanted and unadoptable cat to adored pet, Celia begins to explore her own inward journey and the way that cats had helped her through the difficulties of childhood and middle age, through to self knowledge. By loving Tilly she found she could love her inner self.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2012
15 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Celia Haddon
72 books13 followers"I have loved animals from as far back as I can remember", writes Celia Haddon. "As a child, I realised that some animals suffered at the hands of ignorant humans. To right this I have published several books about cats. Cats make me laugh. We humans don't really understand them, though. If we did, they would have a happier life.
For 20 years I wrote about companion animals (pets) for the Daily Telegraph. For 12 of these years I was a pet agony aunt and dealt with about 100,000 letters. My aim was to improve animals' lives by giving good information - and, with luck, to make my readers laugh at the same time.
I have also written several daily quotation books, now out of print, and a history of the first English Olimpick Games in 1612 - now republished in Kindle. My latest cat is Tilly and my latest cat book is Tilly: the Ugliest Cat in the Shelter. It tells the story of how I rescued Tilly from 18 months without adoption; and how she rescued me in the darkest moment of my life.
Tilly tweets at http://twitter.com/TillyUgliestCat
My former cat George lives on digitally and advises other cats how to train humans at http://george-online.blogspot.com
My website with useful animal behaviour information is www.catexpert.co.uk
- from Amazon
For 20 years I wrote about companion animals (pets) for the Daily Telegraph. For 12 of these years I was a pet agony aunt and dealt with about 100,000 letters. My aim was to improve animals' lives by giving good information - and, with luck, to make my readers laugh at the same time.
I have also written several daily quotation books, now out of print, and a history of the first English Olimpick Games in 1612 - now republished in Kindle. My latest cat is Tilly and my latest cat book is Tilly: the Ugliest Cat in the Shelter. It tells the story of how I rescued Tilly from 18 months without adoption; and how she rescued me in the darkest moment of my life.
Tilly tweets at http://twitter.com/TillyUgliestCat
My former cat George lives on digitally and advises other cats how to train humans at http://george-online.blogspot.com
My website with useful animal behaviour information is www.catexpert.co.uk
- from Amazon
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 29, 2012
Recently, I have been reading too many zombie novels; it's come to the point where I can't leave the back door open and come upstairs without thinking 'I'll probably regret doing that if a zombie apocalypse happens' (and yes, I know quite how ridiculous that is). So I scoured Amazon to find a feel-good tail (ha, sorry), and as a cat-lover, Tilly appealed to me immensely.
Tilly: The Ugliest Cat: How I Rescued Her and She Rescued Me was a beautiful novel, well written, touching and heartbreaking in equal measure. At times I cried, not just for the cats, but for Celia's plight and her husbands. At other times I laughed out loud, recognising a lot of my own rescue cat Cleo in Tilly. Like Tilly, Cleo was adopted from a shelter (and she wasn't exactly beautiful either). She hid for days under the bed, cowering, ears plastered back to her skull, not wanting to come out in my presence. She has 'grown' (not physically, she's still tiny like a 6 month old kitten) into a beautiful young cat who shares the same strange carb-compulsion for chips and bread as TIlly, and also does the feline flop - notably 2 or 3 times every time I try and ascend the stairs! My Cleo and Celia's Tilly could be long-lost cousins!!
I'd sincerely recommend this novel to animal lovers anywhere; yes there are some bits that you might find hard to read - they may even make you cry. But this is a touching and poignant account of not just what we can do for cats, but what they can do for us too. I also have to say, when I got to the end and saw a few pictures of Tilly - I thought she looked absolutely beautiful!!!
Tilly: The Ugliest Cat: How I Rescued Her and She Rescued Me was a beautiful novel, well written, touching and heartbreaking in equal measure. At times I cried, not just for the cats, but for Celia's plight and her husbands. At other times I laughed out loud, recognising a lot of my own rescue cat Cleo in Tilly. Like Tilly, Cleo was adopted from a shelter (and she wasn't exactly beautiful either). She hid for days under the bed, cowering, ears plastered back to her skull, not wanting to come out in my presence. She has 'grown' (not physically, she's still tiny like a 6 month old kitten) into a beautiful young cat who shares the same strange carb-compulsion for chips and bread as TIlly, and also does the feline flop - notably 2 or 3 times every time I try and ascend the stairs! My Cleo and Celia's Tilly could be long-lost cousins!!
I'd sincerely recommend this novel to animal lovers anywhere; yes there are some bits that you might find hard to read - they may even make you cry. But this is a touching and poignant account of not just what we can do for cats, but what they can do for us too. I also have to say, when I got to the end and saw a few pictures of Tilly - I thought she looked absolutely beautiful!!!
November 1, 2012
I'm an avid cat lover and have also read a previous book by Celia Haddon,One Hundred Ways for a Cat to Train Its Human, so I was expecting to love this book. To be honest though I merely enjoyed it, rather than savoring as I'd hoped.
First off, Tilly is not an ugly cat. Even the so called "unattractive" photo of her in the cat home, shows her beautiful and unusual colouring. I would have picked her a heartbeat, but then she shares many similarities with my own nervous tortie!!
I liked reading about Tilly, and her hard road to becoming a happy and healthy pet. There are many instances that are described that will cause cat owners to chuckle and smile ruefully! There are some lovely anecdotes in the book, and many good tips that the reader can pick up and use in their own cat training
However, I did find that much of Tilly's story was overshadowed by the awful personal hardships her owner was going through at the time of her rehabilitation. I'm not adverse to reading about people's difficulties in life, but I wasn't expecting to feel so depressed reading a book about a cat. I also thought the book could have been cut down and shortened. As once Tilly had completed her milestones I began to lose interest in the book slightly, as I was not expecting there to be so many descriptions of medical ailments, hospitals and pills etc.
I think the book will appeal to cat fans as Tilly is an adorable cat, but please be aware that it is also heavily laced with the medical issues of the author and her husband.
First off, Tilly is not an ugly cat. Even the so called "unattractive" photo of her in the cat home, shows her beautiful and unusual colouring. I would have picked her a heartbeat, but then she shares many similarities with my own nervous tortie!!
I liked reading about Tilly, and her hard road to becoming a happy and healthy pet. There are many instances that are described that will cause cat owners to chuckle and smile ruefully! There are some lovely anecdotes in the book, and many good tips that the reader can pick up and use in their own cat training
However, I did find that much of Tilly's story was overshadowed by the awful personal hardships her owner was going through at the time of her rehabilitation. I'm not adverse to reading about people's difficulties in life, but I wasn't expecting to feel so depressed reading a book about a cat. I also thought the book could have been cut down and shortened. As once Tilly had completed her milestones I began to lose interest in the book slightly, as I was not expecting there to be so many descriptions of medical ailments, hospitals and pills etc.
I think the book will appeal to cat fans as Tilly is an adorable cat, but please be aware that it is also heavily laced with the medical issues of the author and her husband.
March 31, 2022
The cat in question is not ugly.
I found this book to be more of a slog than expected and there were some very bleak moments - mostly not related to the cat at all. The details of author’s father were particularly gut wrenching.
Whilst there is no doubt the author is a cat lover and is knowledgeable, I did find the part about allowing cats outside to hunt so they ‘lived a full life’ to be rather dubious. She quite openly talks about all the wildlife her cats past and present, have killed, and seems fine with it. And even though one of her cats disappeared, she again seems fine with allowing her cats to roam. She makes no mention of cat runs, enclosures, or how to enrich life for indoor only cats. She lives in what appears to be a rural or semi rural place and does not seem to concede or consider what the consequences of more urban living would involve in regards to cat health and safety. Seems her attitude to ‘a full life’ for these cats would very much be a much shorter one.
I found this book to be more of a slog than expected and there were some very bleak moments - mostly not related to the cat at all. The details of author’s father were particularly gut wrenching.
Whilst there is no doubt the author is a cat lover and is knowledgeable, I did find the part about allowing cats outside to hunt so they ‘lived a full life’ to be rather dubious. She quite openly talks about all the wildlife her cats past and present, have killed, and seems fine with it. And even though one of her cats disappeared, she again seems fine with allowing her cats to roam. She makes no mention of cat runs, enclosures, or how to enrich life for indoor only cats. She lives in what appears to be a rural or semi rural place and does not seem to concede or consider what the consequences of more urban living would involve in regards to cat health and safety. Seems her attitude to ‘a full life’ for these cats would very much be a much shorter one.
November 11, 2019
Lovely book. It's not the cheesy animal stories that I often come across; I really enjoyed Haddon's writing style, her knowledge of animal behavior and psychology, and how frank she is about her experiences. Such a great story for anyone who loves cats. <3
March 14, 2013
I do love animal stories, and this is one of the best I've read over the years. It really shows how with love and patience you can win the trust of a special animal and open their heart to love. I loved the particularly cute kitten on the front cover; how could that cat be the ugliest cat in the shelter? I loved the personal way the book was written, a true story written from the heart. A great five star book!
February 29, 2024
Admittedly this book as been sat on my shelf unread for about ten years because I was apprehensive it would be a sad animal story but it wasn’t. Didn’t think I would like this book when I first started it as the author claims to be a cat lover but then proceeded to call Tilly ugly throughout the whole first chapter and even later on in the book once she had developed a loving relationship with Tilly it was said that’s “she could never be beautiful”. I do think I took this personally though because I have a cat who looks very much like a short haired version of Tilly who in my opinion was the most beautiful cat in the shelter. This book did grow on me as focuses on cats as companions through life at it’s difficult points which I don’t think is spoken about enough. Would have loved some more pictures!
May 7, 2023
This book was more about the authors childhood and adulthood rather then Tilly the cat. I don’t get why the author had the need to write about her dad abusing animals that wasn’t necessary to put in the book. We all heard about all the other cats the author researched and not much about Tilly until the last few chapters. I am sorri that the authors husband passed away but we didn’t need to hear about every medical history of his as this book was meant to be about a cat. I really didn’t enjoy this book at all and I focused myself to read it to see if it got any better and it sadly didn’t. I think the author of the book should just give up writing books am sorri to say. Such a boring and uninteresting book overall I had high hopes for this books and it fell very flat and unsatisfying xxx
August 14, 2018
My love for "cat " books is so great that I buy whatever I can find . But this booked used the same trick to be marketed as what the author completely contradicts,that is the title of the book "The ugliest cat in the shelter " ...she preaches "do not choose any pet for it's looks " so why name the book so .....For me there is a neglected suffering cat that needs care and a good home .
The tone of the book did do sit well with me .There were parts that tried to be scientific and parts where I preferred not to read the specific cruelties (e.g the father's cruelty to animals ). I am sure Celia is a cat person ,and went through a lot ,but not my type of storyteller .
The tone of the book did do sit well with me .There were parts that tried to be scientific and parts where I preferred not to read the specific cruelties (e.g the father's cruelty to animals ). I am sure Celia is a cat person ,and went through a lot ,but not my type of storyteller .
January 21, 2020
Celia Haddon is a skillful writer who artfully interweaves narrative and informational text in her book. Even a well-read cat lover will most likely learn new information while simultaneously enjoying Haddon's storytelling. From a reader's standpoint, the book's only deficit is a somewhat weak ending, but otherwise the book is an engaging and satisfying read. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading and learning about "all things cat".
September 22, 2017
A nice story, with benefits for all to take in. Not written well.
February 1, 2020
Interesting, informative and endearing. If you are even fond of cats you would enjoy this book.
September 20, 2023
Was an ok book and stroyline didn't go as i expected
June 15, 2024
It was okay but not great. For me it didn't work that she told a lot about the former cats. I wanted to read about Tilly, not also about William, Booster etc.
February 26, 2016
Two stars is probably a bit harsh, but this book was a let down.
For starters, Tilly is not an ugly cat. I know 'ugliest cat in the shelter' is a great selling point, and obviously she had been there for 18 months, but her lack of adoption was more due to temperament than looks. Plus, many cats have been in shelters much longer than this, does this make them even uglier? No. Overall, stupid title.
The title, while stupid, is also misleading. When I was given this book as a gift, I expected it to be a heartwarming story about a lovely little cat finally getting adopted. Instead, the book is more about the owner/writer and her past cats, rather than Tilly, which is fine, but then advertise it as such. The owners backstory was upsetting and I found the grim details of it unnecessary.
The tale of Tilly's recovery and the writers methods were interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed these parts, I simply wish there were more of them.
For starters, Tilly is not an ugly cat. I know 'ugliest cat in the shelter' is a great selling point, and obviously she had been there for 18 months, but her lack of adoption was more due to temperament than looks. Plus, many cats have been in shelters much longer than this, does this make them even uglier? No. Overall, stupid title.
The title, while stupid, is also misleading. When I was given this book as a gift, I expected it to be a heartwarming story about a lovely little cat finally getting adopted. Instead, the book is more about the owner/writer and her past cats, rather than Tilly, which is fine, but then advertise it as such. The owners backstory was upsetting and I found the grim details of it unnecessary.
The tale of Tilly's recovery and the writers methods were interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed these parts, I simply wish there were more of them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2014
Celia Haddon fosters cats for her local Cats Protection League, some have become permanent residents, some are just passing through. When she meets Tilly the terrified 18 month old is wedged at the back of her pen trying desperately not to be seen. On being taken home she is for a long time the invisible cat, only venturing out at night, but in time Haddon's patience wins her over and she becomes the affectionate sweet cat she never had the chance to be. Haddon meanwhile is struggling with the emotional effects of caring for her terminally ill husband reflects on the ability of her feline companions to be sensitive to and respond to her sadnesses. A great book for any cat lover, written not from the point of view of the mad woman stinking of cat pee overrun by 50 cats, but an animal behaviourist who has a deep understanding of feline nature and their species and individual needs.
November 15, 2012
Tilly has spent most of her adult life in an Oxfordshire shelter, unchosen, unwanted and practically feral. Seeking a distraction from her own troubles, the author and renowned pet columnist, Celia Haddon begins a project to transform Tilly into a household pet.
Through Tilly's journey from unwanted and unadoptable cat to adored pet, Celia begins to explore her own inward journey and the way that cats had helped her through the difficulties of childhood and middle age, through to self knowledge. By loving Tilly she found she could love her inner self.
I really enjoyed this book. It made me feel that I'd like to care for all the unloved cats in the world!
It was a really heartwarming story and a nice easy read.
Through Tilly's journey from unwanted and unadoptable cat to adored pet, Celia begins to explore her own inward journey and the way that cats had helped her through the difficulties of childhood and middle age, through to self knowledge. By loving Tilly she found she could love her inner self.
I really enjoyed this book. It made me feel that I'd like to care for all the unloved cats in the world!
It was a really heartwarming story and a nice easy read.
October 8, 2024
Tilly
I adore cats, I’m very much aspiring to become a crazy cat lady; I currently have 2 cats, so I like to read about cats & the name of this book broke my heart - no cat is ugly, but I had to read it despite its terrible title.
It’s a touching story of a less pretty cat that had ended up in a Cats Protection centre & was proving difficult to re home, because of her timid body language & dark colours, Tilly is not an easy kitty to tame, & this is the story of Tilly’s journey from semi-wild to domestic goddess.
If you love cats & need a little pick~me-up then this book is just purr-fect the for you. I am so glad I go over the title & downloaded this book, it was a little gem & I needed it!
I adore cats, I’m very much aspiring to become a crazy cat lady; I currently have 2 cats, so I like to read about cats & the name of this book broke my heart - no cat is ugly, but I had to read it despite its terrible title.
It’s a touching story of a less pretty cat that had ended up in a Cats Protection centre & was proving difficult to re home, because of her timid body language & dark colours, Tilly is not an easy kitty to tame, & this is the story of Tilly’s journey from semi-wild to domestic goddess.
If you love cats & need a little pick~me-up then this book is just purr-fect the for you. I am so glad I go over the title & downloaded this book, it was a little gem & I needed it!
July 5, 2012
This book (metaphorically) leaped off the shelf at me; the picture of the tortoiseshell kitten on the front reminded me of Hobbes, my cat, who I'd recently had to put to sleep at the age of seventeen.
A more un-Hobbes-like cat than Tilly could hardly be imagined, though; when the author first brought her home, she stayed under the bed for weeks, only emerging at night to eat and use the catbox.
The author didn't push her, though, and gradually she began to overcome her fear of humans and emerge from hiding. It was neither a quick or an easy process, but it was ultimately rewarding both for feline and human.
A more un-Hobbes-like cat than Tilly could hardly be imagined, though; when the author first brought her home, she stayed under the bed for weeks, only emerging at night to eat and use the catbox.
The author didn't push her, though, and gradually she began to overcome her fear of humans and emerge from hiding. It was neither a quick or an easy process, but it was ultimately rewarding both for feline and human.
August 23, 2012
As a cat lover the cover was appealing. It gave me a good insight into how the cat protection charity runs and a good bit of cat psychology. Although I did find the stories of the many cats in the book a bit confusing at times I really did enjoy Tilly's account. Celia had a wonderful story to tell herself of how she coped with a desperately ill husband and her own illnesses. I would have liked a bit more. There are moments of magic in this novel and moments of sadness. But all in all Celia and Tilly came through as true heroines.
April 15, 2016
A bit oddly structured - there's less about Tilly then there is about the author and her history of cat owernship. It's a good, interesting read, but it does suffer the same as most books about cats, too many owner related stories, not enough Tilly ones. (Oddly with this one, is how short and limited the 'and she saved me' portion is - it's more general memoir of personal cat history)
The ever strange definition of what makes an ugly cat - Tilly, even via initial appearance description is not an ugly cat. But people are strange.
The ever strange definition of what makes an ugly cat - Tilly, even via initial appearance description is not an ugly cat. But people are strange.
April 21, 2014
I enjoyed this book but it didn't seem to end properly, it just sort of finished leaving you feeling as if there was more to say, it didn't yet wrapped up. I did learn a lot about cats from it though!
December 1, 2012
Well worth reading, v. insightful as to cats behaviour....
March 26, 2013
Really enjoyable read, great holiday book.
I would definitely recommend this book.
9/10
I would definitely recommend this book.
9/10
February 6, 2014
Reading about cats is always nice for a cat lover. It's no great literary work, but pleasant enough. Not sure why it's full if American spelling when it's UK published though?
April 7, 2015
enjoyed this more than I expected.
January 11, 2015
ugly ?? not in the slightest! Definitely not in any of the photos included in the book! Other than that, it was an enjoyable read, though felt it was a little repetitive at times.
September 11, 2015
Read in a day, a lovely heart warming real life story. Funny, sad and inspirational story for animal lovers
gave-up-on
April 17, 2017read 20 of 233 pages, but couldn't get into the story
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews