Cats are our best friends and help us in so many ways! We've received many, many stories of how our feline friends have come into our lives, how they have helped us through difficult times and how we as humans, have adopted and nurtured them - and Sigmund Freud was absolutely correct when he said:
“Time spent with cats is never wasted”
Here are 10 of your purrfect cat and human bond stories, showing your beautiful happy cats!
Rescue Cats
- Elsa was a very nervous cat when she was adopted by her new owner and spent all her time hiding away in her cat box in her new home. But just as Elsa was rescued by her owner - Elsa is returning that love and affection, and since her owner’s husband passed away, is her constant companion.
- Milo, Smudge and their human parents are now inseparable! Milo, a ragdoll kitten, was rescued from a breeder a few years ago, but he was also to become a great emotional support for his owner, who spent months trying to get him well. After Milo was nursed back to health, it was decided that a playmate would complete the happy picture - and along came Smudge. Smudge was also a rescue cat, who chose his human parents by tapping their lap - irresistible! Now, after 8 years, they are still inseparable and enjoy chatting, walking in the garden and sleeping in bed with their human parents who told us “they bring sunshine into our lives, even on the cloudiest of days”
Adopted Humans
- Manuela (aka Marra, Marrita, Marrinelli, Miss Tortelli!) approached her adopted human while she was at university. Although shy, Manuela allowed her new friend to stroke her head and rubbed against her hand - a sure sign that Manuela felt relaxed. Afraid that she would get bullied by other cats on the campus, her newly found human adopted her and is still her devoted companion many years later. She now hangs out with her human at work and they are so close, they even like the same music - Lana del Rey is their favourite artist!
- As a feral kitten, Crackie ‘adopted’ her new humans when they moved into a ground floor flat. She was very shy, had lots of gashes, scratches and bite marks on her body - she had obviously been bullied. Her human parents took amazing care of her and managed to nurse her into a beautiful cat and build a bond that knows no boundaries. They named her Crackie as her ‘meow’ sounded like a crackling fire!
A few years later, this ‘meow’ was to save Crackie’s life once more! Her parents were on the move again - along with Crackie - and even though they took great care to ensure that she would have plenty of time to adjust to her new home - she somehow disappeared! After a frantic time searching, they were beside themselves with worry until a faint crackling ‘meow’ was heard! Further searching through boxes and cupboards was unsuccessful until Crackie’s call led them to the oven!
We know that cats tend to climb to high spots, especially if anxious - and that’s what Crackie had done. She had climbed on top of the oven and fallen down a hole which meant that she was trapped! An indignant Crackie was finally rescued from the dismantled oven and months later has settled well into her new home and her bond with her humans has been restored.
Her parents said “We have no doubt that part of the success of her new life is down to FELIWAY and the plugin magic it cast, as the difference we saw was so fast and so drastic that it simply can’t be ignored!"
- Arlo chose her humans when they visited the rescue centre. She was very nervous when she went to her new home, and spent a few weeks living in the shoe cupboard, but with the help of Arnold - the youngest human in the house - she became very calm and now provides great companionship and love to the whole family.
Support through illness
- We don’t have this precious cat’s name, but suffice to say that she has brought much-needed love and support after her owner lost her father and 4 other immediate members of her family to COVID within a span of 7 days. Her new feline friend was a gift from her nephew and she now has new meaning to her life. She says her new kitten “Gave me love and affection. She is the daughter that I never had and I love her so much”.
- Sedge, Willow, Victoria and Gingernut have been their human’s life savers. All of her cats are rescue cats with different personalities and life stories and all of them have helped her through illness, depression and anxiety. They are her little family and are always there to welcome her when she comes home. “I can’t imagine life without them. They make my house a home and I owe them my life."
- Both Indiana and her human helped each other when they both had heart complications. They came together at a time of crisis and Indiana helped her owner through a very scary time; she is convinced that focusing on Indiana helped her forget about the struggle she was dealing with - she is the perfect companion. With Indiana’s heart murmur, they help each other through their health struggles. “We are inseparable and we battle the hard times together, as best friends."
- Tinkerbelle was rescued by her human and became her constant companion while she was going through treatment for a cancerous tumour on her kidney. Years later she is still providing support to her human, whose cancer is now in remission.
- Hermione was brought into the surgery with her siblings to be euthanized. She was 1 hour old, freezing cold and very hungry but without a second thought, they were adopted by their human nurse. Although the kittens thrived, unfortunately, Hermione became ill - but she was in the right place as her human nurse gave her all the treatment and love she needed to recover!
Then the tables turned and the human became ill; Hermione stepped up and was a constant companion all throughout her illness and recovery. She seems to know that her human’s pain is worse at night and stays by her side purring, with a little paw placed in her hand.
Her human said “She is my little shadow. We have both needed each other during the worst parts of our lives and I am so grateful we found each other.”
These are just a small selection of the amazing cat and human bond stories we have received, all confirming a quote by Jean Cocteau, the French poet:
“Cats are the visible soul of the house as the time spent with them is never wasted.”