Milly Meakin

Some animals are so special, that they leave an impression on not only individuals, but on entire communities. Milly is one of those animals. Her special nature and calm and healing spirit have united a community and touched numerous lives. I also have my own special personal connection with Milly – to me she means comfort at a lonely time.

“That’s Queen Milly to you”

My first months in Melbourne were tough. I was working a job I didn’t love, my photography business hadn’t started, and I was just feeling a bit lost in a city of four million. To top it all off, I didn’t have a pet – for the first time in my life. My cat Neela was waiting patiently at home while I got myself set up, so I didn’t even have the comfort of her to come home to. I also didn’t have a car, so I walked absolutely everywhere – and this is how I came across Milly.

Milly lived a few blocks away from me on a beautiful, terrace house lined street in Carlton North. Every day when I walked past, she would come trotting by with a little meow and demand a pat. Rain or shine, Milly was waiting for attention – on hot summer nights I’d make a special trip to see her after picking up gelato, and on winter days I’d often get off the bus early to see if she was about. Her sweet, slightly grumpy face always cheered me up, no matter how crappy my day was.

If you look closely, you can see a lipstick kiss on her forehead

Neela died before I could bring her to Melbourne, and I ended up moving from the area. Recently I was walking down Canning Street, and thought I’d pop along and see if Milly was still around. Imagine how happy I was to not only see her, but to meet Sally, her owner and one of the nicest people imaginable. We talked for ages, and I was so happy when she agreed to let me tell Milly’s story. We spent a couple of hours on a cold Melbourne morning chatting, laughing, and watching Milly pose like a pro – and then laughed some more when she decided to make a run for it (not a fan of the paparazzi). Milly strolled into Sally and Martin’s life almost fourteen years ago. Since then, she’s survived two dog attacks and being hit by a bike. Her adventurous nature means that she’s often in the wars – but it also means that she has wonderful stories to tell. Here are a selection of Milly’s adventures and travels – she really is one in a million.

Dreaming of her lost love, Giles

A few years ago, Milly had a big crush. Giles lived across the road with his partner, and Milly discovered that she was able to get in the front window. Milly immediately decided that Giles was hers, and every day she snuck into the house and made herself comfortable on the couch, often blocking Giles from his girlfriend. One day, Milly even came home with lipstick and eyeshadow on – perhaps she was trying to impress him? When they moved away, Milly was heartbroken – she still pops over to visit, just to see if her long lost love has returned.

Attempting to escape jail, aka the indoors

Milly is also known for her wandering ways. She has been sighted at the local bottle store, the local school, several neighbouring houses, and even at the corner restaurant. One day, Sally received a message from a woman asking when she would like to come and collect Milly. Her daughter had been ill, and Milly being the sweetheart that she is had come into their house and curled up with her daughter, comforting her through her illness. People come from all over the neighbourhood to see Milly. Kids at the school around the corner stop by each day, and she also has a host of regulars who come by and give her pats, cuddles, and the occasional treat.

One day, we all noticed that Milly wasn’t in her usual spot, and when a week went by without a sighting, we all got concerned. It turned out Milly had been attacked by a dog, and had been badly injured. She was going to pull through, but had to stay indoors for weeks – Milly’s most hated thing ever! Cards, flowers, and cans of tuna came flooding in from all of Milly’s well wishers, and Sally kept us all updated with regular notices posted on the gate. Before long, Milly was back and better than ever – with a new healthy disdain for dogs.

Cards and letters from Milly’s fan club

To say thank you to everyone who sent Milly gifts, Sally held a little party, with cupcakes and treats for everyone. She started leaving chalk on the gate so people could write messages to Milly, and before long she even got her own bit of graffiti art. The gorgeous stencil was painted on the front sidewalk, as well as on the back gate, along with a can of paint remover just in case Sally and Martin didn’t like it – obviously they loved it!

Sally works at the RSPCA in their education department, teaching kids about how they can help the world by being kind to animals. Milly has helped her raise awareness with garage sale fundraisers, and by showing everyone that walks past that a cat is never “just a cat”, they are loving, incredibly clever creatures, who no matter how small, can have a huge impact on a community.

Tired after her shoot, with a little lipstick kiss on her head, happy and content

If you’d like to keep up with Milly’s adventures, you can follow her over on her very own Facebook page. And if you’re in the neighbourhood, make sure you take a stroll down Canning Street – you never know when you’ll bump into Milly, waiting for a cuddle!