is no stranger to the joys and sorrows of pet ownership after spending a lifetime surrounded by beloved animals.
But the television gardener admitted he was caught off guard by the depth of grief he felt over the loss of his cat, Spud.
The former host shared a moving tribute to the feline in a heartfelt piece he wrote for in 2015.
In it he recalled the special bond he had with Spud, a black-and-white cat who became a constant companion throughout his busy life.
“I had always thought of myself as a dog person,” he confessed. “We had dogs when I was a child, and after I married, we adopted Lou – a two-year-old yellow Labrador who became the canine love of my life – and then two yellow Lab sisters, Grace and Favour.”
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Alan Titchmarsh was left heartbroken when his cat of 18 years died (Image: Getty)
However, Alan soon discovered he was not exclusively a dog person when his life was enhanced by the presence of two remarkable cats – Hector and Spud.
The two feline brothers were given to him on his 48th birthday, and they quickly became a huge part of his life, even making frequent appearances on Gardeners’ World.
Spud in particular was described as a mischievous character, known for his habit of jumping onto Alan’s back while he planted flora on camera.
When Hector tragically passed away at the age of eight, Spud remained, growing into a loyal companion who Alan joked “felt more affinity with dogs than with cats”.
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The gardener reflected on how Spud became a part of his daily routine (Image: Alan Titchmarsh)
The bond between Alan and Spud deepened over the years, and the cat became a part of his daily routine.
Every morning Spud would enter the house from the potting shed where he slept, uttering what Alan described as a clear “good morning” before demanding his breakfast.
Evenings were spent curled up together on the sofa. “He was, above all else, companionable,” Alan wrote, thinking back to how Spud would instinctively remove himself from any situation he found unpleasant, rather than resorting to aggression.
But as time went on, Spud’s health began to decline. Two months before passing away he went blind, which the vet attributed to high blood pressure.
Then, one fateful weekend, Alan found him lying outside the potting shed, half-paralysed. Spud was laid to rest under a statue of Peter Pan surrounded by catmint and marguerites, after 18 and a half years by Alan’s side.
Despite having experienced the heartbreak of losing beloved dogs in the past, Alan admitted that the pain of losing Spud took him by surprise.
He shared: “I have shed tears for several dogs in my lifetime. I never expected to shed them in quite the same way for a cat.”
The gardener offered a final heartbreaking farewell to the cat, writing: “One of my best mates is no more. Goodbye Spud. And thanks for everything.”