Posted on 10/28/2014 1:44:22 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows
In the final moments of his life, Edwin Gehlert was surrounded by his family and loved ones. But as he took his last breaths, a somewhat unfamiliar face was curled up right next to Gehlert on his hospital bed. That face belonged to Tom, the tabby cat.
"We had seen Tom in and out of daddy's room on a few of our visits," Gehlert's daughter Pam Thompson said. “But on that day it’s like he knew something was different.”
Tom sat with Gehlert and comforted him and his family, placing his paw in Gehlert's hand immediately after his passing.
“I would never have believed a cat could have touched my heart like this cat did, but I truly felt like God was speaking to me that afternoon through Tom,” Thompson said. “It was as if Tom's paw was God's hand leading my daddy up towards that light to heaven, just as I had been begging him to do for weeks.”
Tom is responsible for many comforting stories since arriving at the VA Medical Center in Salem, Virginia, in May 2012.
(Excerpt) Read more at gma.yahoo.com ...
He looks like my new kitten that I’m thinking about training for a therapy cat. He rides in the car so very well (no stress when getting to the hospital/nursing home) and likes his visits to 1/2 price books, hobby lobby and petsmart.
I just have to wait till he is a year old to be eligble.
I hope your new kitten passes his therapy cat test. He could bring so much comfort.
Cats are great pets. Our oldest recently died and my lab who was a pup when the cat was full grown stopped eating for almost 2 weeks (she is eating again). They are quite honest animals.
My wifes existing cat hated me and would go as far as to spray on my property....in her last days she finally warmed up to me....but she was just a mena mean animal....nothing like Tom
A gypsy in Spain sold a small kitten to my daughter who lives there and we feel he is back in the family. A funny story on how daughter's husband looked over dozens of kittens and would pronounce in his Spanish accent, “It is not Paul.”
Gypsy declared in Spanish, “I have your cat queenie.” When she told her of her quest for Paul.
Odd.
[They are quite honest animals.]
I beg to differ after finding out that cats rub against a person to mark their territory and meowing is a learned behavior used to manipulate humans.
However, I still love them, claws and all.
What a beautiful boy. I really do think God uses His innocent little creatures in ways we will never know...at least in this world.
I’ve seen so many yellow tiger cats that grow very large and muscular. I love a big, strong, feisty tom.
My husband dated a girl (before we met, lol) who owned one. He said they were talking in her kitchen one day, and suddenly the cat, which had been lying there placidly, growled and shot across the floor. It was a mouse.
My husband says that cat smacked the mouse so hard that it hit the wall and dropped down dead, LOL. The feline went from 0 to 60 almost before you could register it.
Our oldest cat barely tolerated the Golden. That was until the Golden died of a heart condition. The cat patrolled the yard where the dog was laying on blankets, making sure no one came in. She let me come to the dog, but she did not like anyone else in the family near him. I’m the mom so I guess it was okay for me to come to him.
He took one last romp through the wetlands and then he came home and died caked with muck. He died with the cat and me trying to clean him up.
He sounds like a gem. Best of luck!
I’m sorry about the loss of your Tom. It always hurts to lose them.
Agreed.
Good kitty, good dog.
I’d not heard of visiting therapy cats, only ones who were already residents of the facilities. Blessya for doing the job.
BTW, good tagline!
Thanks I hope he can get old enough to do the therapy. my hubby is in the hospital and I haven’t seen the teenager kitten for 24 hours.
so please keep your fingers crossed that he comes home.
I will certainly hope for his safe return. Maybe when your husband comes home, the kitten will too???
Which is actually quite honest! We lost our tom due to kidney failure and the Lab really went into mourning, I think more than me. Cats are great.
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