Niomee
Spirit Paws
Our loyal readers know the ASPCA is especially committed to the rescue and rehabilitation of four-legged victims of natural disasters. When we received the following story from Dan Mahdavi in our inbox, we couldn’t resist sharing it. In 2007, Dan adopted a kitten named Niomee who was rescued by a shelter in Southern California during a devastating round of wildfires. Turns out that kitten was special in more ways than one.
After my cat passed away three years ago, my life was at a stalemate. I called my doctor, a cat parent himself, who said “Maybe a new baby needs your love.” In Persian folklore, if you adopt a cat, the spirit of the deceased cat stays with the new one.
I went to the shelter and adopted two kittens. One of them—Niomee—was caught in a trap in the 2007 Perris, CA, wildfires and was stuck there for four days before someone rescued her. She was very skinny. I brought her home on November 2007, and for two months she stayed isolated, only getting out of bed to eat.
On March 7, 2008, the birthday of my kitty who had passed away, I was thinking about how she used to put her head on the floor next to me and do a flip. While I was having these visions, Niomee finally emerged, stood right next to me, put her head on the floor, and did the very same flip! I was amazed and truly believed in the cat spirit. Today Niomee is a very healthy and happy kitty.
To read more stories of furry fate, please visit our Happy Tails Archive.