When times get tough, you can guarantee that having an animal by your side makes things that little bit easier.
Most of us would agree that animals make the world a better place – that’s why support cats and therapy dogs are becoming so popular today.
There’s still a circulating myth that says cats aren’t affectionate, though – and this story proves them wrong.
If you’ve ever had a cat yourself, you’ll know how intuitive our feline friends can be. They might act disinterested half the time, but if you’re upset or ill, they’ll be there for you in the blink of an eye.
Kelly Nugent knows all about the love between a cat and a human. She has not one but two Scottish Folds, adorably named Sweet Potato and Jelly Donut.
When Kelly’s father received a devastating diagnosis of bone marrow cancer, Kelly’s life had to change.
She wanted to be there for her dad, holding his hand through every step of treatment. But what about her cats?
In the end, Kelly decided that there was nothing else for it: Sweet Potato and Jelly Donut would simply have to come with her.
So she packed up her stuff and took the trip from New York to Miami with her cats by her side.
Kelly had assumed that she’d be her dad’s sole carer – but how wrong she was!
Her ginger cat, Sweet Potato, decided that the responsibility was his to look after his sick grandpa, and a beautiful friendship developed.
Kelly shared her story in an interview with The Dodo, saying that Sweet Potato and her dad are now “attached at the hip” after only two months of knowing one another.
She added:
“It’s just the sweetest thing you could ever see because I know [Sweet Potato] can sense something’s wrong and that he’s needed. So he kind of just stepped up to the plate and was like, ‘This is my job now. I’m gonna help heal you.’ It’s like he knew.”
Sweet Potato is only 2 years old, and he hardly qualifies as a therapy cat.
But Kelly insists that her cat’s name has something to do with it, saying that he’s the “sweetest cat on the earth” who “loves everybody”.
Kelly’s dad is an animal lover, but has always considered himself more of a dog person, and had never thought about owning a cat.
That is, until he met Sweet Potato…
Explaining the newfound bond between grandpa and grandcat, Kelly said:
“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. Whenever my dad’s computer, [Sweet Potato will] jump on his keyboard. 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 posted a few videos of Sweet Potato and her dad on TikTok, and they became an instant hit.
Have you ever heard such a heart-melting story? If you’ve fallen in love with Sweet Potato, check out the Instagram account Kelly runs for her cats, jellydonutandsweetpotato.
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