Our pets are like members of our family who stick by our sides through thick and thin, which is probably why we form such strong bonds with them. Many stories suggest that our pets can also sense when something is wrong with us, which is exactly what the cat in this story does.
He won’t leave his grandpa’s side…
When Kelly Nugent learned that her father was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer, she packed up her two cats and flew to New York to be by his side
Nothing is quite as scary as the dreaded 6-letter c-word, so when Kelly learned that her father had bone marrow cancer she knew she needed to be by his side. She made the move from Florida to New York, with her cats, Jelly Donut, and Sweet Potato, in tow.
Kelly knew that she would be caring for her sick father around the clock, but she never imagined that Sweet Potato would also act as one of his caregivers.
It was like Sweet Potato could sense something was wrong
The two-year-old cat isn’t a licensed therapy animal, he’s just a sweet sweet cat, who could sense that his grandpa needed a shoulder to lean on.
“He’s the sweetest cat on the earth. He just loves everybody and wants to be around people. He has that dog-like personality,” Kelly told The Dodo.
Up until now, Kelly’s dad was a dog person, but Sweet Potato would change that with his love
Like most people, Kelly’s dad didn’t see cats as animals who generally offer their support as dogs do, but Sweet Potato would prove him wrong.
The two became “attached at the hip,” with Sweet Potato never leaving his sick grandpa’s side. It didn’t matter what Kelly’s dad was doing, you could always find the loving cat right by his side.
“So my dad has a recliner that he sits in and he’ll put his arm on the recliner, and every single time, without fail, Sweet Potato will jump up and sit in the little cove in his arm and cuddle with him. He’ll sleep in his bed or in his room,” said Kelly. “Whenever my dad is sitting at the table to do some of his paperwork, Sweet Potato will sit on the paperwork. He just has to be on top of him.”
Kelly began sharing the heartwarming story on TikTok, where the love poured in as people started rooting for her father
It didn’t matter that they’d never met him, TikTok users were touched by the story and started sending well-wishes to Kelly’s dad. One of the videos she posted was captioned “I swear their friendship is helping him heal,” and we think she may be right.
So how does Sweet Potato know he’s actually sick? Can animals sense or smell cancer?
Research has proven that dogs can smell cancer, so what about cats?
Experts say dogs can detect cancer with their strong sense of smell, and according to catbeep.com, so can cats:
“Their strong olfactory discrimination means they can detect cancer and other diseases. However, not much has been done to detect this ability. Some cat owners claim that their cats helped them detect cancer by consistently poking at specific body parts.” Reads their website.
Whether or not cats can detect cancer still needs more research, but stories like this one suggest that they know when something is wrong. One thing is for sure, and it’s that cats like Sweet Potato use their love to help people in many different ways.
To see one of their adorable videos together, watch the video below!
@french75vintageUpdate: Tato is now my dads cat. ##catsoftiktok ##catlover ##bestfriend ##besties♬ You’ve Got a Friend in Me – From “Toy Story” – The London Film Score Orchestra
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