I think we can all agree that pretty much every job in this world can get considerably stressful. No matter what you are doing for a living – you are bound to be stressed out by work at some point in your career (if not daily).
Therefore, we all need something to make us feel better and more relaxed, an anti-stress outlet to calm our nerves.
Some people have a gym membership for that. Others love to go for an after-work walk, engage in different hobbies, practices, or even daily meditation.
I personally love to do yoga and meditation. After a long day at work where I had to deal with a lot of information and possibly even confrontations with clients, co-workers, or my boss, there is truly something special in grounding myself and letting everything go through simple breathing exercises.
However, something I also very much enjoy, which also significantly improves my mood, is cuddling with the three of my felines.
Who would have thought, that felines can hold so much power and be so successful in calming us down and de-stressing us? That was something that came as a genuine surprise, not only to me but also to the protagonist of our today’s story.
Meet Ahmed Flaty, a male nurse who was doing his internship in a hospital in Egypt, back in 2020. He was dealing with a lot of stress caused by his challenging 12-hour shifts.
As you can probably already tell, Ahmed was training to become a nurse in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic when the whole world was under a lot of stress. So the nature of his vocation only added up to the levels of anxiety he had been dealing with.
Now you might be wondering, “Where does a cat come into the picture?” Well, every time Ahmed felt a bit overwhelmed by his work, he would go outside to get some fresh air and some vitamin D from the sun.
So one day, during one of those not-so-frequent breaks, Ahmed was approached by an adorable stray orange feline. As he was sitting outside near his hospital’s front door trying to catch some air, the kitty walked up to him like she somehow sensed he had a lot going on.
According to Ahmed, he was sitting outside with a colleague of his, talking about their internship and all the things they had to do when a little orange fluff decided to approach him.
He said that the cat did not meow or anything. She just gave him a very meaningful feline look, after which she climbed on top of his lap. She took some time to settle there and make herself comfortable, stared at him for a moment or so, and decided to snooze off a bit.
This came as a huge surprise for Ahmed. Stray cats and dogs in Egypt are treated very badly in general. So he was shocked to see that this feline felt brave, bold, and not scared at all to come and interact with him.
Even though he had been in a hurry, Ahmed did not want to wake her and disturb her sleep. Besides, he more than enjoyed her presence. The sleeping kitty calmed him down, made him feel present, and a lot less stressed out.
Ahmed sat there and remained still for around 15 to 20 minutes, after which the cat woke up, stretched, and decided it was time to leave. Before she jumped off his lap, she gave him one last meaningful look, as though she was saying, “My work here is done!” and walked away.
It’s safe to say that after this special encounter, Ahmed felt very much relaxed. His social batteries were charged, and he was once again ready to face all the challenges that his job entails.
Ahmed said that he had been working his 12-hour shift for 20 days straight, but that the cat annulled all the stress and exhaustion with one single nap on his lap.
Several researches have proven that our feline friends are able to sense when we are feeling sad, anxious, or depressed. In those cases, they will almost always approach their human with the intention to help and heal them. That is why they are known as great emotional support animals.
After that sweet encounter, Ahmed never saw his stray friend again. Even though he went outside every break hoping to meet her again, there was simply no sign of her. It was as though that had been a “once in a lifetime” thing, but for Ahmed, it was the highlight of his entire year.
Ahmed said that he had been considering adopting a cat or a dog, even more so after his experience with this special orange stray. However, the nature of his job and his busy schedule simply do not allow him to do so.
He knew he would never be able to be a present pet parent and provide his fluff with the love and attention they deserve. If you ask me, this is a very responsible way of thinking, something not many pet parents can relate to.
This adorable story had been shared on Facebook and many people loved it. They commented how the cat probably sensed he needed some love and care, how she must have felt safe in his presence, and how amazing it was that she managed to pull the stress right out of him.
I hope the story about Ahmed and his mysterious fluff encourages all of us to show some gratitude and love to our beloved felines. Even though it might not seem like it, they love and care for us, just as much as we love and care for them.
Every day they work so hard to make us happy and improve our mood. Let’s celebrate that with some extra cuddles and extra treats today!
