Coping with the loss of a loved one is never easy and each one of us does it in our own, unique way; in the manner we know best and feel most comfortable with.
Some people withdraw into solitude, some, unfortunately, start abusing certain substances, some fall into depression, and some try their best to hold onto life by seeking support from other people around them.
And some get a cat – a unique animal known for its amazing emotional support abilities.
These inquisitive and sensitive creatures are extremely emotionally tuned in and therefore can be of great help to humans in the process of dealing with grief. Their healing purr can easily release stress, take away anxiety, lift sadness, and genuinely offer feelings of comfort and contentment.
Do you think that Gary Pitel, a 90-year-old man was aware of these facts when he adopted his cat? Maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t. Whatever it might have been, one thing is certain – he sure did make a good decision when he got a furball as his new buddy!
Gary took the world by storm and captured the hearts of many people when his story went viral. On the same day of his wife’s funeral, after everything was done, he decided to go straight to a local pet store in search of a homeless kitty to keep him company in the coming days.
He had been married to his 86-year-old wife Joan for 59 years, but after she, unfortunately, passed away, both he and his family feared he would feel lonely.
And how could he not be? Imagine being married for almost 60 years, and spending the majority of your life with that one special person you get to call your spouse.
Imagine building a life together with her, raising children and celebrating their every success, living to see your grandchildren, and basically doing life together, hand in hand, only to wake up one day realizing that the person is gone forever.
I cannot even imagine how poor Gary must have felt when he realized his best friend, his trustiest confidant, and the love of his life was no longer with him.
After Joan’s funeral, Gary and his family and close friends had lunch when he announced that he would really love to look into cat adoption as soon as possible. His family did not want to waste any second of his precious time, so they all got up and headed straight to the nearest pet shelter.
Upon their arrival at the local PetSmart store, Gary caught a glimpse of a beautiful two-year-old white kitty named Evita. It was definitely love at first sight!
They tried to show him other cats and persuade him to adopt a younger feline (even though to be clear, Evita was not too old either), but Gary was persistent in his decision. For some reason, Evita was the kitty who won his lonely and broken heart over.
Once he had proclaimed that Evita was the kitty he wanted to adopt, he was supposed to go through an adoption check. Now, that is usually when things get tricky!
His family was well aware that he might not be approved as the right candidate, so they told him not to get his hopes up, so he does not get disappointed in the end.
However, destiny played its role well and showed everyone in a minute that there had been no reason to worry at all. Because just a day later, Gary got a call from the shelter and they told him that he was approved. This meant that could go and pick up his new furry life companion.
Gary was touched by this turn of events. Still emotional over the loss of his wife, he decided to name his new fluff Joansi, which used to be the nickname of his beloved wife.
Gary probably thought that having a cat would be a homage to his late wife, like his own personal way of letting her know he will never forget her and how everything will remind him of her forever.
But he eventually dropped the name he gave her and settled on Eva, which was still a very beautiful and appropriate name for a kitty like that.
From the day Gary brought Eva to his home, they became inseparable. These two have formed a very strong bond which happened to be mutually beneficial for both of them.
For Eva, Gary was her way out of the shelter and an opportunity to experience the proper care and love a good human can offer a pet.
And for Gary, Eva was essentially his saving grace. She pawed into his life in the moments of his greatest despair and eased the burden of existing in a world where he had to deal with the loss of his wife.
In other words, Eva and Gary saved each other. How amazing is that?!
Read more: The Universe Gives You What You Need: This Brokenhearted Man Finds A Cat-Buddy On His Stairs
