Bunnie and Clyde

True love starts with self! That's what I kept telling myself anyway until it finally sunk deep enough within me, that I actually started to love me authentically, but I hadn't even realized yet that I needed a therapy animal to help me become the true me.

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After my son pleaded with me for a few years to get him a therapy cat to help him through his anxiety, I gave in.

Little did I know, that this cat would end up becoming my best friend, who would tag along and help me through my own self love and healing journey.

Initially my son wanted a kitten, but I thought that getting an older cat who needed to be re-homed would be a better idea and he agreed.

We were heading to the city for the weekend, so I decided to search for some cats that needed re-homing and we could pick it up on the way back from the city 🏡.

The first cat we went to see was a chocolate colored, long haired, but very shy, "old man" cat who didn't enjoy kids, so although he was super handsome and fluffy, we decided that this guy wasn't aligned for our family and we went to check out the next cat on our list.

We drove 40 mins to an acreage outside of the city, and as we pulled up to this lovely home with a big red barn in the back, we saw all of the farm animals curiously run up to the house to check out who was here to visit.

There were 3 very big dogs, and a lot of different cats running around. But Bunnie, the cat that we were here to visit, was no where to be seen.

The owner, Gladys knew exactly where to find Bunnie, so she led us to this tree across the field. Up in the tree was Bunnie and her twin brother Clyde, they looked identical, except Bunnie was only about half of the size of Clyde.

Gladys explained to us that Clyde was born blind and he couldn't see, therefore, Bunnie would lead him around the farm and even taught him how to follow her up into this tree and she would sit with him up there all the time.

I thought that was the sweetest thing I'd ever heard of.

But Gladys needed to re-home Bunnie because she already had 6 other cats and couldn't keep another kitten.

The kids instantly fell in love with Bunnie and we decided that this was the reason things didn't align for us with the first cat. We were destined to find Bunnie instead.

Bunnie settled in right away once we brought her home, she had lushes, long, cream colored hair, she reminded me of a little lioness with her golden mane.

I remembered Gladys telling us about how timid and petite Bunnie was, apparently she was the runt of the litter, so she always hid away, up in the trees hanging out with her blind brother, Clyde.

We lived on the second floor of an apartment building so she loved to hang out on the balcony watching the birds sing in the tree tops below.

She would sit out there with me every morning, all summer long and we would have tea, and listen to the birds, sometimes we'd read a book or listen to some music.

At times, I wished I would have taken Clyde home with us too.

Bunnie instantly became the princess of the house. I was her new mom and she had two new human brothers, she was the little sister they always wanted and she knew how to get anything she wanted.

She had her tail wrapped around everyone and all she had to do was sit there, looking cute and purr and any being in her presence would immediately bow and get her what she commanded.

She loved hanging out and having 1 on 1 time with everyone in the family, but for some reason she chose me as her person, it was kind of like I now had the daughter I always wanted.

In fact, she acts more like a rabbit than a cat because she hops around like her Bunny friends on the farm used to, so that's why she's named Bunnie.

She quickly learned tricks and acts more like a dog though to be honest, she even gives me sassy teenager attitude at times when I ask her to stop doing mischievous things.

She loves to hang out with me when I'm in the bath, and she is always beside me or on my chest or shoulder.

She has been so helpful for my family and I didn't realize that she would be so helpful to me.

In fact, having a cat for comfort and support has been so beneficial that we ended up each getting a cat for support.

Demetrio, my younger son wanted a cat so we got him Seven. She resembles a black panther, we felt like she fit in well with her felioness sister, Bunnie.

Black cats used to be a symbol of good luck in ancient Egypt so we named her my favorite and lucky number.

Demetrio has ADHD and is often very hyper, so seven fit in very well as his therapy cat. She is a very anxious cat who constantly needs attention and is very hyperactive so they both clicked right away having similar personalities.

Demetrio says that if cats can be diagnosed with ADHD too, she would have the same diagnosis as he would.

And then since my other son Matteo wanted a therapy cat and Bunnie chose me, he convinced me to get a kitten that was born on his birthday.

And that's where Merlin came from. He looks like a giant panda, he actually acts like a giant panda more than he does a cat. But well he's also a magical wizard cat so that's where he got the name Merlin from.

According to, www.thehealthline.com, it states that pet therapy is beneficial because interacting with a friendly pet can help many physical and mental issues. It can help reduce blood pressure and improve overall cardiovascular health. Apparently it can also release endorphins that produce a calming effect, and this can help alleviate pain, reduce stress, and improve your overall psychological state.

So far I agree with the benefits of having a therapy cat and I'm certain my kids feel the same.