Woman takes in dying cat to make his last hours memorable in heartbreaking act of kindness

Just like humans, pets deserve a heartfelt "goodbye." Many pet parents, overwhelmed by grief, may not think about giving their furry friends a memorable send-off. However, one woman decided to make her neighbor's dying cat's final moments special. Historian and novelist Lucy Inglis, known as @lucyinglis on X, shared a post about a spontaneous and touching act of kindness for her neighbor's cat, which moved many hearts online.

On July 3, Inglis posted on X: "Pals, in what can only be called an act of complete and utter lunacy, I've taken in a 16 year old cat for his last hours. He's called Minnow. Completely blind and senile. So we are going to watch 'Beverly Hills Cop' and see if he would like some Whiskas." The post went instantly viral with over 400k views and Inglis added more updates about Minnow in the same thread. Minnow's parents, who lived opposite Inglis's home, couldn't take care of their cat as they had young children and Minnow had the habit of wandering out on the road. Unable to watch over the 16-year-old feline during his last hours, his humans sent him to live with Inglis as that would ensure his comfort and they would be able to visit him whenever they could that way.

"Minnow, strap in because if you've never heard Eddie Murphy laugh, you've never lived. You may be blind and senile, but you're not deaf," Inglis quipped to the feline. The same day, Inglis suspected that Minnow might be in his last sleep. "He's wrapped up in a nice hammam towel, in my lap, and has fully nodded off," she shared. But as it turned out, Minnow wasn't ready to go. "The cheeky little cat just had some liquid cat food out of a shell. He will outlive me at this rate," the historian joked. Later that day, Minnow showed signs of nearing his death, as he was "roaming" again. 

"We did some acupressure to help his head out. Sounds mad yet works. It's a thing. Now he's in his hammam towel to say goodbye to his family. Well done Minnow," mentioned Inglis. The feline appears to have passed away while in the care of Inglis. The next day, she expressed her gratitude for Minnow's fans on X and said he was a "black and white long-haired" cat. Inglis wasn't the type to share pictures on social media, but she mentioned how Minnow's style "never fades." She added, "Aw, Pals, just been with Minnow's mum, exchanging care packages. Well done, Minnow. Done us proud. Death is a process of life. A good death is a mark of honor. Few get it, but most deserve it."

Hundreds of people showered their love for Minnow and lauded Inglis for giving him a great send-off. "I have a 17-year-old cat (been with me since he was eight weeks old), who is blind. I totally endorse staying with aging animals to give them a good life," said @babydirewolf. "You are a guardian angel. I hope the universe returns all the grace and kindness you are showing to Minnow tenfold," lauded @FinalGirlGia. "That is so lovely. Lucky cat, I hope he is lucid enough to know he is being loved by you and his family to the very end," added @auld_skater.