In a quiet corner of East London, Lilly Oliver, 29, is carrying on a family tradition rooted in compassion and care for animals.
What began in 1987 with her mother feeding a handful of stray cats and dogs has grown into a multigenerational act of kindness, now known as Lilly’s Forgotten Felines and Friends — a heartfelt community-driven effort to support stray animals in need.
Now, the next generation has taken the baton, with Oliver’s three nieces, aged between 15 and 16, also caring for strays in their area.
“I was only four years old in 2000 when I joined my mom.
“I used to watch her and my sister feeding the animals, and I wanted to do the same. It just became part of who we are,” she said.
Today, with the help of her three nieces, she continues to care for stray animals in her community, not as part of an organisation, but simply as a family driven by love and a deep respect for all creatures.
“We’re not a registered NPO or charity, we’re just ladies who care deeply for animals and can’t stand to see them suffer,” she said.
Oliver said the problem of abandoned animals had grown over the years in the community, with people dumping cats and litters of kittens in bushes near factories in Cambridge.
A factory in the area had also shut down, leaving behind several cats that it kept at the premises to help control rats and mice.
“At one point, we were feeding about 120 stray cats.
“Thankfully, Furever Homes, now known as Furever Fixed, stepped in to help us sterilise them and find homes for many of the kittens and some adult cats.”
Oliver said some cats found loving homes with families, others went to farms, and a few were adopted by close friends, but sadly, not all of them survived.
“We’ve lost some to illnesses like kidney failure, heart failure, biliary, hepatitis and strokes. It’s heartbreaking, but we do our best for them.
“Now, the number stands at about 60 cats and 10 dogs, animals that live in the open, hiding in bushes or under shipping containers in factory yards.”
She used her own money to buy pet food and relied on the public for donations.
“When I was working, I used part of my salary for pet food but since I lost my job in March this year, I’ve had to rely more on kind people who support us with food donations.”
She reaches out for help through social media and says any contribution, big or small, makes a difference.
“It’s just my mom and me now doing the feeding here in East London, my sister moved away with her family, though they’re doing the same work where they live, but when they visit, they still help us feed the animals.”
William Granzier, who nominated Oliver for the Daily Dispatch Local Hero Awards, said Oliver and her family cared for a large cat colony left behind after a factory closed down in the Cambridge industrial area several years ago.
“About 45 cats were on the premises and were fed by the company while they were open, but with the company shutting its doors a few years back, the cats have been left to fend for themselves.
“Lilly Oliver heard about this and started caring for the cats.
“Every Saturday, Lilly and her mom stand at Nahoon or Berea SPAR raising funds and collecting food to keep the project going and do not receive any formal financial assistance to run the project.
“They raise all of the funds by selling tickets for raffles.”
Apart from feeding and taking care of the cats, she had become a go-to mother for people who found stray and abandoned cats in their neighbourhood.
She collected the cats and took them to a vet if necessary.
“This lady does amazing work and is a true local hero in so many ways, speaking up for animals which have no voices.”
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.