Introduction
Princess Lilli Lilac was born on January the 16th, 2011. This year, I quietly celebrated her 15th birthday (we did not have a party), by reminiscing about the wonderful qualities of Lilli. As a Ragdoll (her cat breed), she “flops” in my arms and when I pick her up it makes her incredibly easy to carry (being a large cat), draped over my shoulder.
Her personality is incredibly gentle, trusting and calm, which makes her the purrfect therapy cat. One of the most stunning features of purebred Ragdoll cats like Lilli, are the fact that their eyes are blue. Another gorgeous feature is that her fur coat is extremely light, soft and silky, which I find to be a tactile sensory delight for myself (my neurodivergent brain loves the feeling of the fluffy fur!).
Lilli has a noticeably loud purr that physically vibrates at a very low pitch, ranging from 25Hz to 140Hz (Nicole, 2023), mixed with lower frequency sound known as ‘infrasound‘ that we cannot hear, but we can feel. This loud, rumbling purr helps to lower my anxiety, decreasing the likelihood of a meltdown and reducing stress.
Why Lilli’s birthday is celebrated
Like people, pet cats have birthdays too since they often are viewed as members of the family, and Princess Lilli Lilac is no royal exception! As her owner (and cat dad), this usually is the time for me to celebrate by giving her extra cuddles. As per her personality, Lilli likes to hide herself under my bedcovers each morning after her breakfast for a cat nap. I also show my affection to her during her birthday by giving her a small gift.
We honour & celebrate Princess Lilli Lilac’s birthday, as a reflection of her years of life, and reflect on her companionship, the joy she has brought and emotional comfort she has given me.
Why my cat was named Princess Lilli Lilac
The name, ‘Princess Lilli Lilac‘ was selected by myself because of three traits that made the title fitting for her. The title of ‘Princess‘ comes from her ‘demanding’ or ‘sassy’ side that cats often are known to display.
The first name ‘Lilli‘ is based on a species of flowers known as the lily, from which there are many different types. The lily’s elegance is what inspired me to give Lilli her name. Lilli’s name is very ironic in that she cannot eat the very flower her name is based on – the lily of the valley is extremely toxic to cats! π·
The last name ‘Lilac‘ is based on the colouration of her breed: a ‘lilac bicolour Ragdoll cat‘. This variant is the rarest out of all the Ragdoll colours, sporting ivory points complete with an inverted V on the face (Ragdoll Cats World, n.d.). This ‘V’ is also known as a ‘mask‘ and is white, forming part of the face’s fur pattern. This striking pattern makes for a beautiful variant that I am glad to own as a pet. The photograph below shows what a lilac bicolour Ragdoll cat typically looks like:
How old is Lilli?
It’s commonly misunderstood that when a cat ages, we multiply the age of the cat by seven years (age * 7) as we do in dogs. Unlike humans, cats age very fast from kittenhood and by two years of age, they start to slow down as they mature into full-fledged adult cats. By around four years of age, a cat has reached the same age as a mature person in their early thirties (32 years old). The majority of cats are considered seniors by 7 to 10 years of age (Moss, 2020).
This rapid aging means that while Lilli may now be 15 years old, she is actually 76 years old in human years. This happens because age is inversely proportionate to how mass and metabolism are linked, therefore smaller animals have shorter lifespans and vice versa (Speakman, 2005).
For every human age, Lilli’s feline age looks like this:
- 1 cat year: 15 human years
- 2 cat years: 24 human years
- 3 cat years: 28 human years
- 4 cat years: 32 human years
- 5 cat years: 36 human years
- 6 cat years: 40 human years
- 7 cat years: 44 human years
- 8 cat years: 48 human years
- 9 cat years: 52 human years
- 10 cat years: 56 human years
- 11 cat years: 60 human years
- 12 cat years: 64 human years
- 13 cat years: 68 human years
- 14 cat years: 72 human years
- 15 cat years: 76 human years
- 16 cat years: 80 human years
- 17 cat years: 84 human years
- 18 cat years: 88 human years
- 19 cat years: 92 human years
- 20 cat years: 96 human years
- 21 cat years: 100 human years
- 22 cat years: 104 human years
- 23 cat years: 108 human years
- 24 cat years: 112 human years
(Purina Editorial Team, 2025).
At the age of 15 (76 years old), Princess Lilli Lilac has now become a geriatric cat, requiring extra care and assistance from us. We have noticed that as she ages, the cuddlier and more demanding she is, requiring increasing attention as time passes.
Princess Lilli Lilac
As the photo above shows, cats (especially senior ones) are known to sleep all day due to being crepuscular animals (most active during twilight hours).
Since the day she arrived as an 8 week old kitten, both Princess Lilli Lilac and I have maintained an unbreakable friendship that will never expire. π
Conclusion
Princess Lilli Lilac has helped improve my quality of life in many ways beyond being a friendly companion. These therapeutic benefits include emotional support such as helping me through meltdowns and emotional dysregulation.
If you have any positive experiences about your Ragdoll cats, feel free to share them in the comments below! I will see you on the next blog post! π¬
References
Barri, J., & Jennifer, C. (2025, April 18). Lily poisoning in cats: What to do if your cat ingests a lily flower. PetMD. https://www.petmd.com/cat/poisoning/lily-poisoning-cats
Cornell Feline Health Center. (n.d.). Loving care for older cats. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/loving-care-older-cats
Moss, L. (2020, May 2). The truth about how cats age. Treehugger. https://www.treehugger.com/truth-how-cats-age-4863748
Nicole, M. (2023, March 23). Behind cats’ purrs and their healing power-sharing the benefits. Inspire The Mind. https://www.inspirethemind.org/post/behind-cats-purrs-and-their-healing-power-sharing-the-benefits
Purina Editorial Team. (2025, November 13). Cat years calculator & chart: Your cat’s age in human years. Purina. https://www.purina.co.uk/articles/cats/senior/care/cats-age-in-human-years
Ragdoll Cats World. (n.d.). Everything you need to know about lilac ragdoll cats. https://ragdollcatsworld.com/lilac-ragdoll-cat/
Speakman, J. R. (2005). Body size, energy metabolism and lifespan. Journal of Experimental Biology, 208(9), 1717-1730. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.01556