[Heartwarming] 5 Changed Behaviors of Beloved Cat After Discharging From Hospital Following Tumor Removal Surgery

When we overcome difficulties, the bond with our family often deepens, doesn't it? And that’s certainly not something that applies only to humans. Through the struggle of my beloved cat, Gigi, with his illness, I was deeply moved by the deepening bond between a person and their cat.

In this article, I’ll share the attitude Gigi showed before his illness was discovered and how he changed after treatment. Looking back while writing this, I am once again surprised at how much his behavior and gestures have changed.

[My cat’s change ①] He comes when I call his name...!

I live with three cats, and Gigi has always had the most laid-back personality. Even though we’ve been together for over 10 years since he was three months old, he would only widen his eyes when I called his name. He never came running or answered back.

While there were times I felt a little lonely, I always thought that was just his unique personality, and that it was fine just the way it was. But from the end of 2024, our battle against "hemangiosarcoma" (a rare malignant tumor in cats where cells that form blood vessels become cancerous) began, and after repeated hospitalizations, his behavior started to change.

Shortly after he was discharged from the hospital, when I called "Gigi!", he widened his eyes just like he always did, but then he trotted over to me quickly.

The sight was so shocking that even though I was the one who called him, I ended up saying, "Wait... Gigi!? You’re not overdoing it, are you? Are you okay? Did something happen!?"

While I was flustered with happiness, Gigi just looked at me as if to say, "What? You called, didn't you?"

By the way, even now, a month or two after his discharge, when I call his name, Gigi blinks his eyes and trots over to me. Gigi, who has even started coming over with his tail held high. To put it mildly, he is incredibly adorable.

[My cat’s change ②] He started following me everywhere...!?

I suppose cats also get lonely while hospitalized. After he came home, Gigi started following me around quite often.

Before his illness, whether I went to the bath or the restroom, he would just act like, "Go ahead. I'm going to take a nap."

But now, whenever I move, he starts moving with me for some reason, his tail wagging back and forth. It’s as if he’s saying, "Let me accompany you!" Seeing that, a mental image of a motivated Gigi wearing a headband pops into my head, and I can't help but chuckle to myself.

By the way, when I move, Kotaro (the tabby cat I live with) moves too, so it’s always a grand procession with two cats in tow.

It feels like we’re playing a heartwarming game of "train," which gives me the courage to get up even when I really don't want to leave the kotatsu. Cats truly are the best.

[My cat’s change ③] His purring doesn't stop all day

When I first brought Gigi home, he wasn't good at being held. Perhaps because he was in a display case during the most critical time for feline socialization, he seemed unable to judge the right distance from people or other cats. Unless I tried to engage with him almost by force, he would go hide in his litter box and spend the whole day there.

Seeing that, I felt a kind of emotional wound in him, which made me feel very sad.

Later, I brought home Kotaro hoping they would play together, but they didn't get along well. So, I started carving out one-on-one time just for us to relieve his stress, and somehow he grew to love being held.

After his discharge, his need for affection accelerated. When I sit down at my PC to work, he trots over to the screen and into my arms. He lets me hold him and purrs while monitoring my work.

After work, once I’ve finished my household chores and sit in my floor chair, he casually comes over and flops down next to me. He uses the floor chair just like a human and fills the room with his extra-large purring again.

Gigi has a pretty loud purr, so even if I’m a little distance away, I can tell he’s purring, and it makes me feel warm inside.

It’s said that a cat’s purr can boost a human's immune system, so I hope Gigi is boosting his own immunity with his purring too, so he can live a long life.

[My cat’s change ④] The frequency of him being by my side has skyrocketed

Before I know it, Gigi is right next to me. Since his discharge, I’ve found myself thinking that more often in my daily life. What Gigi likes best is monitoring my work from "his own chair," which I placed next to my office chair.

When I’m tired, I show him my drafts and ask, "Does this reflect a cat’s perspective?" while I pet him. He has truly become an excellent proofreading assistant.

And another thing Gigi likes is my floor chair. Since he sleeps there, there are many times I end up eating or watching videos without a chair. That is the fate of a servant.

Before his illness, he used to prefer my husband's chair over mine... When I realized that had changed, I felt like I had won a small victory over my husband, whom the cats usually adore, and I gave a quiet fist pump to myself.

[My cat’s change ⑤] He worries when I'm lying down

Maybe Gigi was a worrier to begin with. Whenever I have a panic attack, for some reason he always rushes over, scratches his scratching post, and then comes over to bite me.

When I told a friend, they said, "Maybe he's trying to finish you off?" but I don't believe that. I'm sure he’s sharpening his claws to help me. And he bites me to check if I’m still alive. That’s what I tell myself.

I was happy with that behavior, but after he started his treatment, Gigi became even more of an overprotective kitty. If I just lie down in the living room saying, "I'm tired," he seems to think, "Has this person died...?" He scratches his post as usual, runs to my side, and starts biting me.

Gigi lost all his teeth when he was young without seeming to be in pain (the vet said it was a rare condition), so when he bites me, it just feels like gums and doesn't hurt. As a total cat person, I’d love to keep being bitten forever, but because Gigi is so worried, I try to declare, "Furukawa is alive!" at a reasonable point.

The look on Gigi’s face at that moment... He gives me a cold stare as if to say, "Stop doing such confusing things," and quickly walks away.

I’m sorry, Gigi. But I think your kindness is truly precious.

Looking at social media, I feel that cats who have experienced illness often change their attitude toward their owners. I’d love to hear what kind of changes everyone else has experienced.