[tessendicott]

I just wanted to share how awesome my cat is with everyone and how therapeutic he is and see if anyone else had any stories like mine. I'm a vet assistant and I have severe constant back pain. I am no longer allowed to lift anything over 5 pounds. I have one bulging disc and one herniated disc. I had been wanting a cat for awhile and happened upon Pepper on craigslist and just knew he was going to be perfect for me (he looks almost identical to my cat Gypsy of 14 years that my mom has in Indiana). I rescued him from a military family, who quite frankly was very neglectful of his preventive care (no vaccines and letting him outside with strays and no collar) and also didn't do his 6 month checkups and when he came to me he had/still has a very bad UTI. He is the SWEETEST cat on the planet. He's constantly by my side.

Today when I went to my doctor because I needed an emergency steroid injection for my pain. We discussed Emotional Support Animals and she is giving me a letter stating Pepper as one! This means if I fly, he flies free with me in my seat. My landlord also cannot charge me an excessive deposit (which he wants to do for all pets) and cannot evict because of him (he doesn't know we have him). I also can't be denied an apartment because of no pet rules now. So excited!

I rescued him because there are times when my back pain gets really terrible (like today, it was unbearable) and I just want someone to cuddle with.

He knows what's going on with me and we seem to have this extremely strong, strange, unexplainable physical bond (this is where the psychic part comes in). I was laying in bed the other night and my left ear was killing me from a bad bout of swimmers ear and Pepper was laying on my chest and took his paw and placed it on my left ear. He knows when I'm crying and comes running to the rescue even if he can't hear me or see me crying. It's the strangest thing. I also have very bad anxiety because of my pain and I'm not exaggerating when I say he calms me down faster than my xanax does. He lays down on my chest and I end up calming down and falling asleep. Anyone else ever have anything like this happen with their pets? I know they can tell when something is wrong, but he's usually in the living room when he comes running to me.

Anyway, just thought I'd share how awesome he is! I'm thinking about getting him certified as a service animal to take to childrens hospital wards to cheer them up. He is the chillest, most laid back cat on the planet. I had a dental cleaning done a month ago and he's so chill that when they drew blood and put his catheter in he just laid there and purred. Also, he absolutely loves riding in the car, we don't even bother with his carrier anymore <3

[Tai]

Pepper is one beautiful cat! He has such an expressive face and pretty eyes.

My cat died many years ago, but I used to call him my furry little xanax.

[ilidawn]

I'm so happy for you and Pepper! Absolutely gorgeous cat! Pets really are therapeutic. My cat can be a pain (he's got some issues lol) but I can't imagine life without him. I love him with all my heart and he's been with me through all kinds of heck.

[tessendicott]

That's exactly how I feel about Pepper, he's extremely therapeutic and he calms me down better than xanax some days.

[Steph7409]

What a beautiful boy! I'm so glad you two found each other.

I have 4 cats and, while none of them is psychic, they are all a source of comfort and joy.

[tessendicott]

We were going to adopt another one, but Pepper was NOT about to share me with anyone else. hahah. We have a very small apartment and I really wanted to bring Beowulf home, but I would hate to make his life miserable if Pepper is going to pick on him. :/

[CrystalZ10]

Wow that is a super pretty kitty boy!!
Okay my story happened like 10 years ago while still living at home. My wisdom teeth had come in without me knowing and I started having a lot of issues with tooth pain.

One night my cheek started a dull throb and I took 2 Aleeve to kill the pain. It didn't work. It got worse and worse. By the time 10pm rolled around my whole left face was THROBBING and aching, and hurting!!!! I had taken about 6 Aleeve by than and nothing worked. I just laid there and sobbed and tried to sleep.

Along comes Nala to the rescue. She was an orange tabby and a baby of my tortise shell cat Snickers, so she'd been with us her whole life, but she was strictly my moms cat. Glued to her side non stop. Slept with her and everything! She never so much as even checked on me until that night.

She climbed into my bed, laid on my throbbing cheek and started purring! Than she streched out her paws and started lightly happy pawing my head. Just light little pricks on my scalp around the forhead. It felt like a massage. She rubbed her face on my chin and would go back to the happy paws. I don't know if it was a combo of the warmth from her body, with the purring and happy paws, or if it was just knowing that someone was awake with me and cared, but I fell fast alseep within an hour!

Next thing I knew, it was morning and the throbbing was gone and so was she.,(back to my mothers side.), My tooth had abessed during the night, and wound up having it pulled two days later, but that was the weirdest/coolest thing ever, and she never did that again. Its like she knew I needed comfort and there she was!!

She wound up dying from a feline respatory infection about a year ago, but she was 15 years old and died by my mothers side. Loved that little cat and even more so after that incident.

[tessendicott]

That is SO sweet. I think they know a lot more than most people give them credit for. I hate to hear that she passed away, but at least she had a good 15 years with your mom.

I rescued Pepper from a military family who was neglectful of him and who would NEVER let him even in their bedroom or on the furniture which killed me because he is THE BEST snugglebug on the planet. I would never dream of kicking him out of the bed. Between Mack and him I only have like an inch of room on the bed, but it's fine with me. For whatever reason the woman I adopted him from thought he was 8, I think she just picked a random number.
I had Dr. M look at him and he says that he's 4 at the most! I hope he's around for another 20 years with me.