Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:
Hi guys! I love your blog! So my story is a little complicated and I hope you’ll bear with me. When I was 12 years old, I was just hitting deep puberty. My cycles started and my single father did not know how to deal with this, so that summer, he sent me cross country to stay with my grandmother so she could teach me what I needed to know. During this summer, a stray cat wandered into my dad’s house, a boy my dad named Dominick. While video chatting with my dad he showed me this cat.I fell in love with him and renamed him Buyo after a cat from a show I liked. When I came home from my grandmother’s, he’d already been there a few weeks, but he attached to me instantly. I’m almost 26 now and he’s currently curled up against my arm purring as I type this. Here’s my question. I was born with HIV, and also about the time Buyo came into my life, I was developing a condition called idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura, which is very like hemophilia (platelet deficiency). My teenage years were riddled with medication and hospital stays. Buyo’s stayed by my side through all that, plus cross state moves, college, marriage and then some. I’ve always wondered if he picked me because he could tell I was sick, or if I’m simply his type of person. Maybe you could share some insight? Thanks!
~ Silvermoon
Thomas: First of all, Silvermoon, thank you for asking this question. A lot of cat lovers ask the question, “Can my cat tell I’m sick?” And the answer is complex, nuanced, and shows the deep love that cats and their people can have for one another.
Bella: Based on our experience as cats, we believe that Buyo originally bonded with you because you share a similar energy. That’s how we cats decide who to adopt–we see a person’s energy and gravitate toward them.
Tara: But cats also have a remarkable ability to tell when people need them.
Thomas: Our mama has a chronic illness, too, and she says we help her a lot when she’s having bad days.
Bella: In the scientific world, the jury is still out on whether cats can detect illness. The studies that have been done have been more about whether cats can detect a person’s emotional energy, and those studies have been pretty small.
Tara: But there’s lots of anecdotal evidence that the answer to the question “Can my cat tell I’m sick?” is definitely yes.
Thomas: For example, one cat was able to detect her person’s epileptic seizures before they occurred. And some cats have been able to detect low blood sugar in their diabetic owners.
Bella: We even found a news story about a cat who can detect low blood sugar in her human boy, who has diabetes:
Tara: We certainly know when Mama’s in a lot of pain from her illness and we spend lots of time with her, purring on her sore spots to help them feel better.
Thomas: We also help Mama if she has a cold or something and she’s feeling bad from that. Purr therapy works wonders for humans, we’ve found.
Bella: From what it sounds like, you and Buyo have a very special bond, and it’s not the least bit surprising that he wants to be with you and do everything he can to take care of you. That’s a great gift, and not one to be taken lightly.
Tara: So, Silvermoon, while there’s no body of research on whether cats can detect illness, there are plenty of people with stories about their cats picking up on things going on with their health even before they and their doctors do.
Thomas: So even in the face of a lack of scientific evidence, we believe the answer to the question “can my cat tell I’m sick?” is an unequivocal yes.
Bella: We imagine Buyo always knew there was something special about you, and he adopted you because he wants to be a part of your life.
Tara: The ability to be a “kitty nurse” is just one of the many beautiful things about the relationship you and he share. Enjoy it, and cherish every moment. It sounds like Buyo is a really wonderful feline companion.
Thomas: What about you other readers? What do you think the answer to the question “can my cat tell I’m sick?” is? Have you had a cat that can tell when you’re sick? Has your cat helped you get through an illness or other hard times? Please share your stories in the comments!
JaneA Kelley is a punk rock cat mom and award-winning blogger. She is a regular columnist for Catster Magazine, and she and the Paws and Effect Gang share a home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Cats can tell when you’re sick, depressed or going through trauma. I think all cats have this ability, but some are more naturally empathetic than others. Years ago I had a big marmalade cat named Peter who wouldn’t let me out of his sight as I was recovering from surgery.
About a year ago I aquired Bell’s Palsy, which triggered high blood pressure and a weird sort of depression. No pain at first, that came about 5 days later. Horrible neuralgia. My cat Beans was stuck to me like a limpet. Literally. Up against me at night, he needed to be touching me. I know he knew something was off even before the neuralgia hit. My other cat-boy Alex kept peering at my face too.
Now, when Beans gets extra attentive and lovey, I wonder if I’m sick or dying and don’t know it yet! : )
Cats are like barometers, the sense things we don’t. I’m very grateful to have a nursemaid cat.
I think just about any domesticated pet can tell when their person is sick. I owned a horse, Sugar, who almost always walked slower and more carefully when my mom, who has post-polio syndrome, rode her for short times.
I once caught a bad stomach bug -napping on the floor of the bathroom bad- and put my beloved miniature Dachshund, Simon, upstairs so my folks could take care of him. Dad had to come put something in our storage room, and guess who _sprinted_ down the stairs into the bathroom to lie down beside me for I can’t remember how long? :-)
And of course, my adored cat Kravitz, who is now at the Bridge, was especially cuddly whenever I got sick, and he was clearly an advocate of resting whenever needed. He also seemed to know whenever I needed some additional affection, because every time he stretched out a paw to tap my face or arm, I felt so very loved.