We all love a good pet rescue story, right? The funny thing about pet rescues, though, is that the human often feels as if they were the one rescued. One example of this is a beautiful midnight-black cat, named Lucy, who was rescued by her family. Her owner, Rheanna, always says that Lucy really rescued her. Rhe was just a pre-teen when her purr-fect friend came into her life, and it was at just the time when she needed a friend.
If you are like Lucy’s owner, then you know the comfort a pet can bring you (or has brought to someone you know), as over half of American households have a pet (Washington Post).
According to a study done by NBC, cats can provide many health benefits. They help nurture our sensitive side, calm nerves with just the sound of their purr, and help reduce stress.
Rheanna had not even started middle school when she got sweet Lucy. Her parents were going through a divorce, and she felt alone...until she met Lucy. Now, as she finishes college and is married to her high school sweetheart, Rhe is making a sweet home for her little family...with Lucy as the “queen of the castle”. Lucy has become a cherished pet because of the faithful comfort and support that she has provided to Rhe throughout all of the changes that have been thrown at her over the years.
Most recently, Rhe lost her grandma and says, “There are times when I will be crying silently in a totally different room...and 30 seconds [later] I look over and Lucy is walking toward me ready to snuggle...somehow she just senses when I need comforted.”
It is just so amazing that cats have the capability to sense our need for comfort and support. Cats have an average lifespan of 15 years...which means that you will have a loyal companion to see you through life’s ups and downs for many years.
However, some say that cats are not as affectionate as dogs. While this may be true in some cases, when a cat has been around their owner for a long time, they start to pick up on their moods and will display behavior accordingly. For example, “when faced with a smiling owner, the cats were significantly more likely to perform ‘positive’ behaviors such as purring, rubbing or sitting on their owner's lap. They also seemed to want to spend more time close to their owner when they were smiling than when the owner was frowning.”
Cats not only know when something is wrong with you, they can sometimes alert you when something is wrong in your home. While this is rare, some say that cats have a sixth sense and that sure is the case for Lucy…
One night, Lucy’s parents were fast asleep when she woke them up, purring loudly. She would not stop purring and nudging Rhe until she got up and checked the basement...to find that it had flooded.
Lucy has been a faithful companion to her family for many years and now has a sweet new sister, Sunny, who will hopefully provide many years of love and support to Rhe’s little family.
We would love to hear how your cat has changed your life below in the comments. :)
Sources:
Forget what you've heard. Being a cat lady Is healthy.
How many Americans have pets? An investigation of fuzzy statistics.