How Animals Help Us Cope With MS

As I was writing this evening, my gray cat Oscar jumped up on the arm of my recliner. He purred loudly and rubbed affectionately against my arm. Distracting me from my work, Oscar laid it on thick as he thanked me in advance for the tasty dinner he was about to receive.

Oscar is my multiple sclerosis (MS) buddy. He is my friend. He is one of three cats who keep us entertained and provide lots of laughs and affection. Oscar frequently joins Rob and me in bed after we’ve turned off the lights at night, and he is usually right at my feet when I wake in the morning.


Oscar is a gentle soul who seems endlessly thankful to be a part of our family. A skinny stray who showed up on our porch, he was starving for affection as much as for food. I fed him, but he always asked for pets before eating. One rainy night, he showed up bleeding at our house. It was all I could take. I brought him inside the house, and from this moment forward, he became a member of our family.

Read this post in its entirety:
My MS Buddies: My Cats

Pets Help Patients Deal with Chronic Disease

Sunday afternoon, St. Patrick’s Day, I’m trapped under a kitty and can’t get up.  Send help.  ;)  No, wait, that’s not necessary.  In actuality, my cat Oscar and I are rather comfortable enjoying some simpatico time on the bed.

Of our three cats, Oscar is the closest to being a “lap cat.”  He likes to sleep on the back of the couch just behind my head during the day and at night, he likes to curl up in the crook of my arm and lean into my torso.  He is my feline snuggle-bear.

Last weekend, Rob and I traveled out of town for four days.  Reports from home were that my little girl kitty, Musette, cried out, meowing through the house, looking for me/us.  She is very attached to her “mommy” and I to her.

Oscar didn’t seem to miss us while we were gone, but he did keep me awake nearly all night our first evening back with his demanding need to be pet and hugged during the night.  He needed his mommy lovin’.

Read this post in its entirety:
My Pets Help Me Battle MS