Elvis Mather - RIP

This week we lost our little Elvis, the King of the Hillbilly Cats. When we got him and his sister Missie they were just six weeks old and they stole our hearts the first moment we saw them. Elvis had a beautiful personality, easy going, friends with everyone, never interested in falling out with other cats. As long as there was food and cuddles to be had, he was happy. He started life in brown and black stripes before developing a full black coat and a belly wobble to die for. He always had that wiggle, it was why we called him Elvis. They both loved their mum and they both loved their food. Elvis has spent the past 16 years sleeping on Julie’s neck or lying on her chest. When he could be prised away he would sit on my lap watching the football.

He was Julie’s best friend, a good listener and a wonderful stress toy. He was a celebrity as well, everyone knew him, and people we hadn’t met for ages would always ask, “how’s Elvis”. He's in the sleevnotes of MfP's Gene Vincent CD, The Great Rocker, and was supposed to be filmed by our national tv company until he got stage-fright - shades of Vegas '56 I suppose. The house is an emptier place without him and though our hearts are aching now, we're all the richer for having shared our lives with him. In 1981 Sonny Fisher sang Elvis, I Miss You – he could have written it for me. God bless you Elvie, words can't do you justice - it was a priviledge to be with you, you’re always in our hearts, and we’ll see you, Missie, Billie and George again one day.