Purr Therapy

[SeaCat]

Went down to visit my friend in Hospice once more. We stayed there for three hours talking with her brother as I held her hand. Her heart is strong and she is still with us even though she is non responsive and thinning down.

While we were there my wife and I noticed a foul oder coming from my friend. I carefully and quietly checked and found she was dirty. I asked her brother when she had been cleaned up last and was told he couldn't remember. I told him to go on down to the cafeteria and get something to eat as my wife and I cleaned up my friend. By the time he returned we had not only bathed my friend for what seemed to be the first time in days, we had changed the bed linens as well as repositioned her. During this I had checked and repositioned her Urinary Catheter which allowed her baldder to drain. (No wonder her belly had seemed distended.)

I was more than disturbed by this seeming lack of care by the Hospice crew until I found out the brother had been refusing care for her. I talked with him and finally got him to agree to allow her to at least be bathed on a daily basis.

It hurt me deeply seeing my friend like this but I was glad that I had been the one to bathe and take care of her. She is a close friend after all.

By the time I arrived home I was more unhappy than I have been in quite some time. Not angry just hurting. I poured a cup of coffee and grabbed a cigar and went out onto the patio, closing the door behind me. (It was hot out and I'm not going to allow that heat inside when I have the A/C running.)

I was sitting out there in the heat when I heard the slider open then close. Before I turned to look there was a meow beside me just before Magi jumped up into my lap. He stood there looking at me for a minute before putting his paws on my chest and head butting me a couple of times. It was only when I had scratched him behind his ears that he settled down and curled up in my lap. I rested my hand on his side and gently petted him. I could feel his purr through my palm.

Every time I tried to move my hand away from him Magi grabbed my hand with his forpaws. He didn't want me to stop even though it was hot out for both of us. Slowly I calmed and slowly I remembered what my friend had told me when she had taken care of the "herd". She told me that Magi was the only one of our cats that had come up to her and he had not left her alone when she visited to check on them.

I sat there for a couple of hours just sipping at my coffee, (Which my wife refilled,) and smoking my cigars while petting Magi. By the end of it I had calmed down and Magi was ready to let me get up. His therapy was what I needed.

Cat

 

[DesertPirate]

Never doubt or question the power of the healing kitty!

 

[MagicaPractica]

 

[glynndah]

It's too bad you can't bring that comfort to your friend. When my father-in-law was dying at home, the cat spent much of her time beside him purring.

 

[Vermilion]

It's too bad you can't bring that comfort to your friend. When my father-in-law was dying at home, the cat spent much of her time beside him purring.

I was going to say much the same thing. Whenever I'm sick or tired or just hurting there is nothing like the company of a willing cat to soothe me. Only 2 months left and we're getting our kittens!!!

I'm sorry about your friend, Seacat.

 

[JagFarlane]

Have a friend of mine who suffers massive migraines, often shutting her down for a couple days at a time. She has her meds, but they only take the edge off, the only relief she really gets is when her cat curls up around her head and just starts purring.