by Matt Mahan

Created on: June 21, 2008   Last Updated: February 24, 2012

It was a very cold and snowy January night when I drove home from work to find a cardboard box on the front porch. Walking into the house, I saw my daughter playing with the smallest kitten I had ever seen. We lived in the country on a dirt road and my wife explained that she found it on the porch. Our daughter loved that little cat, and I must admit it was very cute. I told them that it would have to go to the shelter in the morning. My daughter wanted to keep the kitten, she brought her over to me and placed it in my hand. The little thing was so small and weak but ever so cute that right then and there I said we could keep her.

My daughter named her Sissy, because she wanted a sister. The kitten grew to become a cat and certainly became a member of the family. As our daughter grew, Sissy became an after thought to her, as unfortunately most pets do. We had a son a few years later who ultimately passed away when he was very young. It was a time in our life when we were absolutely devastated by our loss.

Cats are amazing creatures. The day of the funeral, my wife and I were sitting on the couch. We had just buried our son and the thought of life was lost on us. My wife, with tears in her eyes, was rambling incoherently about something when Sissy jumped up on the couch. She took one look at me, looked at my wife, and proceeded to climb up on my wife and place her head on my wife's shoulder. Sissy was obviously feeling our pain and deemed my wife more needing of her unconditional love. For months afterward, anytime my wife would become emotional, Sissy would come running. If my wife was sitting, she'd hop on her lap and lay her head down on my wife's shoulder. If my wife was standing, she'd get on her hind legs and tap my wife's leg to pick her up.

I firmly believe, due to Sissy's feline intuition and unconditional love, that my wife was able to forage her way through that most difficult time in our lives. Over the years, Sissy became our youngest "child" and an integral part of our family. Even as a much older cat, if my wife injured herself, Sissy would come running to help. Looking back, I know for certain that Sissy saved my wife's life with her love. I hate to think what might have been, if that poor defenseless little kitten had not shown up on our porch when I was at work. Anyone who says that cats do not make a positive impact on people's lives, never met Sissy. Visit your local shelter today and pick up your own "Sissy", and see how much better your life will become.

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