24 people reveal the kindest thing their pets have done for them

When it comes to unconditional love, no one does it better than our furry friends. Anyone fortunate enough to have had a pet at some point in their lives will be familiar with just how much of an impact they have on your mental health. No matter how silly they might be at times, they always seem to sense when their favorite humans are feeling down. With a little tilt of their head or a calming paw, they somehow figure out exactly how to console us and make us feel like nothing else matters in the world.

Redditors who've experienced this in their lives recently shared stories of the times their pets were kind to them and unlike most things on the internet, this thread is just wholesome to its core. Here are some of our favorite stories:

1.

"Just existed. When I moved schools my sophomore year my mom got me an old man cat named jack. He was the one I talked to after and before school. He was the one who waited for me by the door when I got home. He was the one who cuddled me at night making sure I wasn't lonely or cold. He never left my side as long as I was home and it did more for me than words can express. 
When you're a confused teenager who's whole world was just turned upside down due to your mom moving in with her a**hole boyfriend, all you want is a friend and that exactly what he was. If it weren't for him I wouldn't have woken up in the morning for school/work. I wouldn't have tried. I wouldn't have cared. He sadly passed away last month but I'll never forget how he changed my life. You'll never truly understand how great of an impact an animal can have until they're gone. I'll never meet another cat like him. Rest In Peace Jacky boy." — Accomplished-Art-301

2.

"My cat stayed In bed with me the entire time I had COVID. I was shocked because he's usually an a**hole." — GaryNOVA 

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"I was in a bad state and was crying a lot . Suddenly my baby turtle climbs on my feet and keeps staring at me. I then pick him up and keep him in my lap,he still keeps staring. I begin to laugh and then he basically puts his head in his shell and sleeps lol." — kabir_222 

5.

"My dog had to pee in the middle of the night and he did it in the bathtub instead of on the floor. I thought that was really sweet." — EnglishTeacherTube 

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"I was going through a bad break-up and had all the classic heartbreak signs: loss of appetite, bad sleeping patterns, lethargy. If I fell asleep on the couch, my dog would (try to) pull a blanket off the back of the couch over me. If I didn't eat, she would either drag me to her full bowl or wake me up by dropping kibble on me. If I slept too long, she would drop toys on my face. Up to and including her favorite Chewing Rock. Which was a fist-sized rock she liked to chew on.


I miss her." — Q-Dot_DoublePrime

8.

"Saved my life. When I was a baby my aunt was on her phone not paying attention at all and baby me was crawling on our deck and then all of a sudden I fell into the pool my dog Zoie saw and began to bark like crazy until my aunt came over and saw me drowning. I was told I was under the water for 10 minutes and the doctors said I wouldn’t make it but I survived and it’s all thanks to her I literally wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her." — Gingerkid64

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10.

"Not for me but I had a cat as a teenager who hated everything that moved. She would tolerate me and my dad but only in small doses. Anyone else she would hiss, scratch the works.
When my grandmother was dying of cancer (it must have been one of her last visits to our house before she went into hospice care), that cat just sat on the chair arm and let my grandmother stroke her for over an hour without any fuss. Sadly about a year later we also lost the cat to cancer, but as she was a cat she was allowed to have a pain-free and dignified end, unlike my poor grandmother." — MesocricetusAuratus 

11.

"I've had this large brown akita, probably about 95 lbs, female, I've had her since i was about 4. She lived to be about 11, when she was dying I was home alone and she was having trouble breathing and looked like she was in pain. I stayed outside with her trying to provide comfort in her last few moments but she refused to stay near me, she would struggle to get up and slowly walk away. I think somehow she knew what was happening and didn't want me to see her pass. I know that sounds like a stretch but she was such an intelligent and loyal dog I could just feel it. A pet's death never hit harder than hers." — Peggss 

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"When I was sick with [COVID-19], the cat we took in off the street stayed with me every second. When I would get up to get to the bathroom, he'd follow me down. And then come right back up with me. Racing past me and waiting at the top of the stairs. When I began to recover he'd follow me to the basement when I have my gym equipment, and stay there on some boxes until I finished and managed my way back up. He has avoided stepping on my DVT leg from even before I knew I had the clot. And now he comes and 'gets me' at 8:30 every night to remind me to go to sleep. I've noticed on the days that my daughter is particularly anxious about her classes, or college decision stuff, he stays with her. He's kind of like a little 'dog' which might be why our dog, who can no longer make it up and down the stairs doesn't like him." — LowkeyPony

14.

"After my dog ran away and was presumed dead (he wasn't, he just turned up 10 km away. In three days he somehow ran 10 or more km. He is a staffy.) my cat snuggled up to me and just, sat. He let me cry, he was just being genuinely nice. Normally he's an a**hole, but sometimes he's a really nice animal!" — AceCosmiic 

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"I had a parrot and got dumped by this girl and was heartbroken. Granted I was only 14 at the time so I just started crying. That bird flew down to my bed, ran up my arm and stared giving me kisses and wouldn't stop till I broke out laughing then it joined me.
His name was Elvis, he was my buddy for about 24 years and always was at my side when I was down." — MadLintElf 

17.

"I've spent a lot of nights crying myself to sleep recently and my cat has snuggled up to my body rather than sleeping on the pillow next to me or at the bottom of the bed. I think she knows I need her ever so much." — distant-girl 

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19.

"I survived stage IV cancer and a bone marrow transplant. Often I would have a hard time sleeping because of the steroids I was on with chemo. I would go upstairs to the den and would see some random sad commercial, or a poignant scene in a show/movie, and I would silently cry. I don't know why silently, but my dog Fry always came up; without fail. He would sleep on my tumors during my treatment. I’m not religious, but if there are angels, Fry was one." — blueridgechic 

20.

"A skinny stray cat showed up on my porch, so I began feeding it. A few weeks later, I was in a traumatic highway accident that left me hospitalized for a month. Sadly, the cat I had already owned for a few years ran away during that time, but the skinny stray stuck around and waited for me.
Naturally, I adopted that stray cat (naming her 'Gatita') and she's probably the best cat I've owned." — RubySoledad

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22.

"My hat flew off once and Porky the Pug went to pick it up for me. He failed, but at least he tried." — PM_ME_YOUR_RESTROOMS 

23.

"First depression when I was 7 years old. I was sobbing at night and my cat went to lie against my face, licked my tears and rested his head against mine all the night." — Successful_Pea_1492 

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