For five years, a cat named Henry has been bringing love and smiles to the staff and patients of Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, England.
The feline is seven years old and has made the place his second home. Everyone loves him and Samantha Smith, who recently had twins, is raving about the kitty.
“I think he really knows he’s needed in this hospital in a special way,” Samantha said.
The woman had to stay for eight weeks at the Sick Children’s Trust at Acorn House, a place that houses families of sick children who are being treated in hospital, and the cat was always there to support her.
A special ginger cat has stolen thousands of hearts from the UK hospital
“Whenever Lucas had a bad time, he always put a smile on my face and comforted me since I was alone up there,” he said. “He was like my right-hand man, you might say.
Hospital worker Ellie Freitas met the furry one a year ago and loves his company on break time and especially the emotional comfort he brings, making the exhausting work he does easier.
“Some days I felt really bad or really depressed and he would come out of nowhere and after a hug or two I felt a little bit better,” Ellie said.
Another cat-loving patient is Lauren Davies who said she couldn’t have survived the past three weeks in hospital due to her 6-month-old daughter’s illness ‘without Henry’.
“He allowed me to hug him and unload my difficulties of the day on him – it’s an absolute blessing and I don’t think I would go days without seeing him,” he said. “Seeing Henry made the days that seemed to never end so much better,” Lauren said.
Amanda Crissall, also a hospital worker, says he “expects treatment around 6:15 a.m. near our staff parking lot.”
“He’s the first thing I see most of the time when I walk from the parking lot to my office,” Amanda said.
According to Newsweek, despite the constant hospital visit, Henry has a loving family who only found out about his wanderings through social media.
People who knew the cat created a Facebook group – which has 5,100 members – where they share the good experiences they had with Hanry during his difficult time in hospital.
“I can’t tell you the joy it has brought to my daughters, bringing smiles after tears is a wonderful gift Henry, we love you,” one commented.
“My sister is still alive and that was 5 years ago, she still can’t believe I sat hugging him crying in my coffee and praying. He saved me that day,” another reported.
A hospital spokesperson said the cat is much loved by everyone at the hospital, but its presence inside the facility is not permitted, therapy pets only.
“However, for obvious infection control reasons, no animals other than pet therapy dogs and guide dogs are allowed in the hospital, so please do not attempt this with food or other sweets, which are also bad for your health”.
Well, although the cat is alone outside, he has done a fine job of calming the bereaved hearts of everyone who visits the hospital.
This story was provided by Zenger News.
Images: Matthew Newby / Zenger
Follow Pets Feed on Google News!