In this article
Thor supports his mom, who is fighting breast cancer
I found Thor wandering the street one cold and rainy November afternoon. The day before, I had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Thor was very dirty – his paws were covered in mud, and he had big thorns in his fur, probably from walking around so much and from crossing a ravine very close to my home. I decided to provide Thor with shelter in case someone was looking for him. The little feline was extremely affectionate with me, which made me realize that his place was with me – to accompany me during the difficult battle that was about to begin: my numerous cancer treatments.
Thor and I are inseparable now, and I am sure he gave me the strength I needed. I know I will win the battle. Thor is my angel, and I love him so, so much.
Hughie helped his humans cope with great loss
Working in the veterinary industry, we sometimes find ourselves taking home strays that may come our way. Hughie was handed in to us as a kitten, and he had the biggest eyes and an adorable little tongue hanging out. Right from there, the little boy had my heart. Back then, I already knew he was going to join our quirky bunch. My partner, however, was not aware of this. After all, Hughie was only “staying for the weekend”.
The day after I brought Hughie home, my mother-in-law unfortunately passed away suddenly. It was such a heart-breaking time for everyone, but luckily, little Hughie helped ease the pain. He’s our little gift we didn’t know we needed. He gave the best cuddles as we cried and made us laugh when we forgot how to.
Fun fact: Hughie is named after Hugh Jackman, my late mother-in-law’s favourite actor.
Poppy provided company and brought joy during the Covid-19 pandemic
Right at the very beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, I found a cat in my garden, and I decided to name her Maya. The next year, in 2020, Maya gave birth to two wonderful kittens, and one of them is Poppy.
Poppy and his mother Maya were my salvation during the long lockdown period as I really missed my friends and my boyfriend. Poppy and Maya’s affection and the days spent playing with them helped me a lot.
Khatleesi comforts her mom, who suffers from depression
During the time I was most depressed and would often be crying, Khatleesi – who is not usually an extremely affectionate cat – started sleeping in the nook of my armpit, laying down her head on my shoulder.
One night when I was crying, she licked my tears away soon as they started to run down my cheek. To some, it may not seem all that special, but to me it definitely felt like she was comforting me right then and there, which made me feel lighter.
