The vet installed a drain, prescribed antibiotics, and the cat came home in a cone. To add insult to injury he also put the cat on house arrest until he was healed. This cat is a very vocal cat, and a very particular cat. When something bothers him he yowls- not meows- yowls constantly.
The first night at home was nearly torture. Between listening to him try and wrestle the cone off his neck, and listening to his incessant caterwauling, I didn’t get much sleep. The next morning he literally followed me around howling for hours.
I knew he was miserable and there was nothing I could do for him. I offered him delicious wet food. I scratched his cone-bound head, and stroked his body where he couldn’t groom. None of that satisfied my miserable cat, and his wailing continued unabated.
The lack of sleep, and the constant noise was doing a number on my nerves. Finally I couldn’t take it any more. I picked up the cat and began to pray.
“Dear Heavenly Father…I take this cat in my arms to give him a blessing…give him comfort… bless him that he will accept the conditions of his treatment…help him to manage his restrictions… ” I closed the prayer and said ‘amen.’
By the time I finished the cat was sick of being held and was clawing his way out of my arms. He flopped to the ground on his injured foot, and yowled at me twice before wandering off towards his food dish.
Remarkably I can say, without exaggeration, that the change was instant, dramatic, and persistent. After eating a bit he disappeared. I went looking for him to make sure he hadn’t suddenly had an adverse reaction to his medications and died under my bed. He was under the bed, but he hadn’t died. He still looked miserable, and still really wanted his head scratched, but he quit complaining about it. He remained miserably compliant until the cone was removed about a week later.
He had accepted the conditions of his treatment, just as I blessed him to. I gave my cat a blessing. And it worked. I wonder who else I could bless.
Beautiful. This reminds me of every (good) pioneer story I have ever heard. (Women blessing their oxens, anyone?)
I thought the same thing! Mary Fielding Smith and her oxen came right to mind.
I love everything about this story! Thank you for sharing.
I had to teach about what ordinances we have thanks to the restoration of Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthoods to the Primary children on Sunday. One of the “ordinances” listed in the primary lesson outline was “blessings for the sick.” I skipped that one, because I wasn’t comfortable teaching that, considering that the policy that only Melchizedek priesthood holders could bless the sick wasn’t in place until the 1940s, and until that time, people without the priesthood (women) successfully administered such blessings.
Recently, those that oppose ordination of women have argued that women don’t need the priesthood because we already have “power in the priesthood,” perhaps through our temple covenants. However, all seem to agree that women lack “priesthood authority” and I wonder what good priesthood power is without authority. From my observance of the many spiritual endeavors women are not allowed to do, not much.
So is it this “priesthood power minus authority” that women use to bless the sick? What is the difference, exactly, between a prayer for healing and an official priesthood blessing? Why bother to call the elders if they are the same? I sincerely don’t know.
I have the same question. I had a bit of an argument with a friend about it who felt that she had the power to call on God to heal her kids. I didn’t disagree with her, I also believe that in an emergency God would answer my prayer according to faith and God’s plan. But then what does it actually mean to “have the priesthood in the home?” I mean what difference does that actually make? The only priesthood things you can do in the home without clearing it with your bishop as far as I know is blessing the sick and blessings of comfort. so if you could do that in an emergency, couldn’t you also do it not in an emergency? Why then would it be a problem to “not have the priesthood in your home” if, by virtue of your covenants and righteous life, you have the power of God? It maketh little sense to me.
The Lord ignores those of us without husbands? His hands are tied unless there is a man in the room? Really?
Yes, I firmly believe that if I make covenants and live righeously the Lord’s power is with me and He will bless me.
Starfoxy, I love this. And I also really just love that you are a cat person.
I LOVE this story. It reminded me of a time a few years ago when my pug ate some rat poison. I took her to the vet and they got her to throw up, but I was still so worried about her, that I harassed my husband into giving her a blessing, which he didn’t want to do. Now I’m kicking myself — I should have blessed her myself.
Thank you for this. I can empathize a bit, as our cat has had two painful accidents in the past three weeks. He was in a cone for almost the entire time. I offered many prayers of comfort for my kitty, and feel they were answered. I felt a little silly at first, because I know there are so many people who need blessings, but it was a beautiful reminder that Heavenly Father loves all creatures and listens to our pleading.
Best. Post. Ever. I love that you blessed your cat. In recent months my most powerful spiritual experience involved my sick kitty so this spoke to my crazy cat lady heart. Thank you!
One of our cats was in a cone for not leaving the stitches alone after spaying. She didn’t yowl, but, she made the dirtiest look I have every seen.
I did bless our cat with leukemia when I was a teen. It did seem to help for a few months.