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

When you overcome some difficulty, the bond with your family often deepens, doesn't it? I'm sure this isn't just true for humans. Through my beloved cat Jiji's battle with illness, I was deeply moved by the strengthening bond between humans and cats.

This time, I will introduce Jiji's behavior before his illness was discovered and the changes he underwent after treatment. Looking back while writing this article, I am once again surprised at how much his actions and gestures have changed.

[My Beloved Cat's Change ①] He comes when I call his name...!

Three cats live in my house, and Jiji is the most easygoing. We've lived together for over 10 years since he was 3 months old, but he would only widen his eyes when I called his name. He never rushed over or responded.

Sometimes it was a little lonely, but I always thought, "That's just Jiji's personality, so it's fine." However, at the end of 2024, he began battling hemangiosarcoma (a malignant tumor that develops when cells forming blood vessels become cancerous), which is rare in cats. After repeated hospitalizations and discharges, his behavior changed.

Soon after he was discharged, I called "Jiji!" and he widened his eyes as usual, then quickly trotted over to me.

When I saw that, I was so shocked that even though I had called him, I blurted out, "Huh... Jiji?! Are you sure you're not overdoing it? Are you okay? Did something happen!?"

Jiji looked at me, flustered with joy, as if to say, "What is it? You called, didn't you?"

Incidentally, even now, one to two months after his discharge, Jiji still blinks his eyes and toddles over to me when I call his name. Jiji has also started to wag his tail as he rushes over. To put it mildly, I can't love him enough.

[My Beloved Cat's Change ②] He follows me around...!?

During his hospitalization, I guess cats feel lonely too. After being discharged, Jiji started following me around often.

Before his illness began, whether I went to the bath or the toilet, he would act as if to say, "Go ahead. I'm going to sleep."

But now, every time I move, he somehow starts moving with me, wagging his tail. It's as if he's saying, "Let me accompany you!" When I see him like that, I always picture a very enthusiastic Jiji (imaginary figure) with a hachimaki headband, and I can't help but chuckle to myself.

By the way, when I move, my resident cat Kotaro (a tabby) also moves with me, so it always turns into a big migration with two cats.

It feels like we're playing a heartwarming game of "train," so even when I don't want to get out of the kotatsu, I can summon the courage. Cats are the best.

[My Beloved Cat's Change ③] He purrs all day long.

When I first adopted Jiji, he didn't like being held. Perhaps because he was in a display case during the most important period for cat interaction, he seemed unsure of the distance between cats and humans. He was the kind of cat who would secretly go to his own litter box and spend the day there if I didn't forcibly play with him.

Seeing him like that, I felt a deep sadness, as if he had some kind of emotional wound.

After that, his relationship with Kotaro, whom I adopted hoping they would play together, wasn't very good either. So, to reduce his stress, I started spending one-on-one time with him, and before I knew it, he had grown to love being held.

After his discharge, his neediness accelerated. When I sit down at my computer to work, he rushes to the front of the screen and into my arms. He lets out rumbling purrs while I hold him, monitoring my work.

After work, once I've finished household chores, I sit on my floor chair, and he casually comes and lies down next to me. He uses the floor chair like a human, and once again, his super loud purring fills the air.

Jiji's purr is quite loud, so even if I'm a little far away, I can hear it and feel comforted, knowing, "Ah, he's purring."

They say that a cat's purr can boost a human's immune system, so I hope Jiji himself will also boost his own immune system with his purrs and live a long life.

[My Beloved Cat's Change ④] He's next to me much more often.

I realized that Jiji is often next to me. After his discharge, I started noticing this more often in daily life. What Jiji especially likes to do is monitor my work from "Jiji's special chair," which is placed next to my computer chair.

When I'm tired, I show him my drafts and ask him to check them, saying, "Does this reflect a cat's perspective?" while I pet him. He's practically an excellent proofreading assistant.

And another thing Jiji likes is my floor chair. He curls up and sleeps there, so I often eat or watch videos without my floor chair. Such is the fate of a servant.

Before his illness, he used to choose my husband's floor chair over mine to lie down... When I realized that had changed, I felt a little victorious over my husband, who cats tend to like, and silently pumped my fist.

[My Beloved Cat's Change ⑤] He worries when I lie down.

Perhaps Jiji was always a worrier. When I hyperventilate, for some reason, he always quickly sharpens his claws, then rushes over to me and bites me.

When I told my friend, she said, "Maybe he's trying to finish you off?" but I don't believe her. I'm sure he's sharpening his claws to help me. And by biting, he's checking if I'm alive. That's what I tell myself.

I was happy about that behavior, but after his illness began, Jiji became even more of an overprotective cat. When I lie down in the living room, saying "I'm tired~", he seems to think, "Did this person die...?", so he started sharpening his claws as usual, then rushing over and biting me.

When Jiji was young, all his teeth fell out without any pain (which a veterinarian said was a rare condition), so even when he bites, it's just the sensation of his gums and doesn't hurt. As a crazy cat person, I'd want him to keep biting me, but since Jiji worries, I try to declare, "Furukawa is alive!" at an appropriate moment.

And Jiji's face at that time... He looks at me with cold eyes, as if to say, "Don't be confusing...," and quickly walks away.

I'm sorry, Jiji. But I think your kindness is very precious.

Looking at social media, it seems that cats who have experienced illness often change their attitude towards their owners. I'd love to hear what kind of changes you all have experienced.