Question of the Day - Tuesday, January 11

cassiopea

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Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday!






What is the kindest thing a pet has done for you?






Totally hard to narrow it down as I have many stories with different pets, but will start with this - One summer a couple of years ago, I woke up in the middle of the night in bed and started crying/wailing (My grandmother just passed away weeks before, among other issues that were occurring at the time) and I was unable to fall back asleep. One of my kitties, Phryne, walked on over from the other end of the bed, slipped under the covers and nestled against my chest and started purring. I wrapped my arms around her and immediately relaxed and fell asleep! While she was always a sweet cat, she was never really a hugely cuddly one in that way - and being a Calico also delightfully sassy - so it was a nice surprise.





 

Tik cat's mum

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Patches is just a sweetheart all the time, but the kindest thing he's done was when Tik passed. He started cuddling my hubby Patches was 2 at the time and had never gone to my hubby for affection before. It made me realise just how much my hubby missed his boy and helped my hubby realise he could love another cat. Bandit my mischief whenever I'm not feeling well will stay by my side actually staying calm just making sure I'm OK.
 

susanm9006

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One of my cats, a beautiful brilliant girl that I found in a parking lot, was absolutely against loud noises, especially people raising their voices and when I and my teen son would get into it, she would jump on me, climb up me, do whatever she had to do to reach my mouth and start pawing at it. There was simply no way to continue an argument when your cat is telling you to lower your voice. She helped keep the two of us in check and moderated our arguments for several years. Beautiful Daisy unfortunately died from heart failure when she was a little over two.
 

game misconduct

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my baby sister's mini schnauzer pup and her short hair persian used to just keep me company right after my mom died and i was just months out of the hospital from just having my stroke and mainly wheel chair bound still its just comforting having those little warm bodies resting peacefully next to you when your hurting inside:lol:those dogs are smart though cause it would wake up and hop off the couch(wasnt allowed up there but i let it hang out with me there:lol: )i would be on with it soon as it heard my baby sisters car pull up
 

Silver Crazy

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I am fascinated by the way animals read our emotions and get protective when we are ill or get upset when we are mad at them.
One time I had breathed in some mold and got really sick and spent 2 days in and out of fevers and totally off my head..I had a neighbor keeping an eye on me and she said the cat I had at the time was always curled up next to me with 100% full of attention if I moved or spoke and suspicion and growling at her if she touched me or got to close for to long. (He was the cat who would not let anyone into HIS house unless they come in with me and even then had to watch him carefully)
When I finally got back on my feet the cat dived into his food bowl, had a big meal and slept for about 30 hours straight..i dont think he had slept the whole time I was sick.
Another one was a horse but I wouldnt exactly call it kindness but more protectiveness.
We were doing a 10 day trek through the high plains and I was put on this horse that was on his first trip not being ridden by a guide and was told if he got to be to much of a handful I would swap horses with the guide but to see how we went together.
This horse wasnt mean, he was just a joker and had a sense of humor would try you out every time he sensed your attention wandering.
After the fourth time he had tried to knock me off on branches, suddenly side stepping when jumping over a log or anything else he could think of, dumped me in a creek. I jumped back up on his back, pulled his head around and yelled and screamed at him and boxed his ears.
From that point on he turned into a lap dog, when we had a break he would stay right up close to me instead of wandering off and having a graze like the others, would stand with his head down against my back just snuggling and follow me around everywhere. Any other horse that approached me he would turn sideways and block them from getting close. And he behaved perfectly with ears back paying attention to my voice and every move I did. He turned into a big baby and my guardian..lol
Sorry for the long spiel but just something that got triggered in the memory and has had me fascinated for a long time. :)
 
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MoochNNoodles

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It's definitely how they read our emotions and sense sickness!! My soul-kitty Glory was always "my" cat. But when I went through a really hard time growing up in my preteen and early teen years; she became my everything and spent most of her time with me. She actually died sprinting to be in my bedroom. I think we were each other's safe place. :redheartpump: I was crushed because she was only 9 and it came out of nowhere. But at the same time glad she didn't suffer a long decline or anything like that.
 

neely

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Each one of our daughters has had a cat that picked them, slept beside them and had eyes for only them. 😻 But the one pet that stood our for me not only with kindness but loyalty and protection was our last German Shepherd. I've never had an animal that I felt was my soulmate more than him, he was without a doubt my heart dog.:redheartpump: When our youngest was diagnosed with a life threatening illness as a child he was her nursemaid but I used to say he was my therapist. I could have never made it through her hospitalizations and treatments without his love and affection. Whenever the doctor(s) called with bad news I would go in a separate room so she wouldn't see me cry but he was right there beside me. Then I would take him out for a long walk to think and it helped clear my mind. He had a plush coat so when I would walk him the kids in the neighborhood would say, "look it's a wolf," but actually he was as gentle as a lamb. He has a very special place in my heart and when he passed a part of me went with him. :sniffle:
 

tyleete

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I adopted this beautiful baby (10yrs young) almost 8yrs ago from the shelter. What she did for me? Was allowed me to love her and love me back in return. I recently lost her, but an honored to have had her in my life.💗
 

Bri5

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In September, we had 2 profound losses in the same day. I sat on the bedroom floor and wailed, and our newly adopted 3 year old dog found me, laid herself across my lap, and howled. She cried for every bit as long as I cried. It was sorrow, not fright or annoyance. She has been incredibly sensitive to me and protective of me since.
 

MonaLyssa33

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My parents' late cat, Kirby, was very attached to me and when I was living with them, I was in the bathroom when my back went out (which is unfortunately something that happens a lot). The way I had fallen to the ground, resulted with me half in the tub with my pants down. The door was shut, which was something I didn't always do and Kirby would always visit me in the bathroom. I was in there for over 30 minutes trying to get up the courage to fight through the pain with Kirby pawing at the door and very persistent about getting in. Somehow he got the door open and was instantly all over me. Since my pants were down with my bare butt facing not only the door but also the front window of the house, him getting the door open had me very motivated to get up. So it was very sweet of him to be concerned enough to get the door open and check on me, but he also motivated me to get out of the compromising position I was in.
 

mani

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Last year I had a severe bout of an abdominal issue. I would be lying on my side, and Sundar would come up onto the bed, lie at right angles to me and 'massage' the part that was bad (kneading). He just knew. Nilah would lie stretched out on the other side along my body. I was astounded and felt very nurtured.
And now, ill again and not up to taking him for a walk in the garden, he refused to go with a friend of mine, unless I could come too.. And it's one of his absolutely favourite things to do. He just stood at the door and looked up at me until I came out a short distance and sat in a chair. He still wouldn't go exploring.. just stayed with me.
 

aliceneko

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Toffee saved me from a bad bout of depression earlier this summer. I attempted, and he knew something was wrong and came running straight up to me, nudging himself against me and cuddling into me. He quite literally saved my life!
 

fionasmom

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Years ago, with different animals than I have now....I was working in the house and became impatient and fell hard against a wall head first. Backstory is pointless. I was stunned and saw stars literally and sort of sank to the floor. I must have laid down, because the next thing I remember is that my male GSD was lying on top of me and the two females were on either side of me. Daddy Cat was on top wedged between Ragnar and one of the females. Sort of my own three dog night plus a cat trying to protect me when I was down.
 
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