Sweet Cat Walks Extra Slow To Stay Next To His Best Friend On Crutches
By Steven Messenger
"It made me quite emotional! It's really lovely"
Gerard Keane and his sweet cat, Mitcho, have always been inseparable.
For the past 16 years, the two old friends have done just about everything together.
Everything.
A few weeks back, however, an unfortunate accident put a pause on the good thing Keane and Mitcho had going.
Keane suffered a fall, breaking his hip in the process. He ended up needing an extended stay at the hospital to undergo a hip replacement. Meanwhile, Mitcho pined away at home, missing his best friend dearly.
"They were separated for four weeks," Aoife, Keane's daughter, told The Dodo. "Mitcho always follows him around the house and sits by him in the garden, so he must have been devastated."
That absence only seemed to deepen the cat's love for Keane. Ever since he was released from the hospital to recover at home, Mitcho has insisted on staying close.
Keane is still recovering from the hip replacement and needs to use crutches. To help regain his strength, he's been taking daily walks around the neighborhood for exercise, slowly but steadily.
And, thanks to Mitcho, never alone.
Though for his whole life, the cat never once chose to step beyond the family's driveway, the thought of Keane lumbering down the street all by himself inspired a change in Mitcho. Now, when Keane steps out for a walk, Mitcho always joins him — moving extra slow, so his best friend has no trouble keeping pace.
Seeing that pure expression of friendship moved Keane's daughter to tears.
"It made me quite emotional!" she said. "It's really lovely."
Mitcho's love for Keane is also making a difference.
With his cat's encouragement on those daily walks, and the warmth of his affection during all moments in between, Keane is steadily on the mend.
"He’s recovering really well," Aoife said. "Mitcho has been great company and comfort for my dad. He’s more affectionate than ever and always at his side."
Article/Source: https://www.thedodo.com/close-to-home/cat-walks-slow-friend-crutches
