A woman who befriended the neighbor’s cat recently learned the heartbreaking news of why the feline hasn’t been coming around.
Nikki, known as u/Doodle_Kitten, told Newsweek via Reddit messaging that while sitting outside one day petting one cat, another came out of nowhere seeking attention, too.
“Here came this little cotton ball with legs making little mews and meep sounds,” she said. “Didn’t know her name or who her owner was, hadn’t seen her yet. That came a short while later.”
From that day forward, a bond was formed. She learned this cat, Miss B, belonged to her neighbor. Miss B would constantly come over, and being a good neighbor, Nikki would give her endless pets and the occasional treat. She noted the cat’s fur was the softest she’s ever felt on a feline.
After her friendly visit, Nikki would always take Miss B back to her owner and make sure the owner shut the door. If not, the cat would follow her back to her apartment, a never-ending cycle of the two new besties.
The cat visited whenever she saw Nikki. She traveled from one side of the apartment complex, down the stairs and across the parking lot to be with Nikki. She filmed one of the incidents of Miss B visiting her and posted the throwback clip in a September 24 Reddit post on the subreddit r/notmycat.
“I don’t know how much this video would mean to me just a few months down the road,” Nikki said.
Nikki started noticing Miss B not coming around, which was strange since they would see each other almost daily. She didn’t realize why until she received a heartbreaking note from her neighbor that she later shared to Reddit on September 23. Her neighbor explained that about a month ago, Miss B got sick with what appeared to be feline infectious peritonitis or late-stage cancer.
The note continued: “She seemed to show some improvement at first, but her tests a month later showed otherwise. She has since passed away peacefully at home with the assistance of a vet.”
Miss B’s owner included a paper filled with several photos of Miss B, a memory Nikki will hold onto forever. She wrote in her Reddit post about the note that even though it wasn’t her cat, it “still hurts.”
The post has more than 2,500 upvotes and viewers flooded the comment section with their condolences.
“She was beautiful, so sorry for your loss!” said a Reddit user.
Another added: “I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m so glad the other mommy let you know what happened. I’m sorry you didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. Be thankful that her pain is over, at least, and for every moment you had with her.”
Miss B’s owner reassured Nikki that her friendship didn’t go unnoticed. She was thankful her cat had a friend like her.
The rest of the note read: “I think good friends are hard to come by and wanted to let you know how grateful I am that she had a friend like you. She loved your company and it made her life that much more fulfilling.”
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