<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> For the past 16 years, two old friends have done just about everything together. Now they get to join Caturday.</span><div dir="ltr"><br>Courtesy of <i>The Dodo</i> at:</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.thedodo.com/close-to-home/cat-walks-slow-friend-crutches?ICID=ref_fark">https://www.thedodo.com/close-to-home/cat-walks-slow-friend-crutches?ICID=ref_fark</a><br><div><br></div><div>———————————————</div><div><h1 class="title-text font--article-headline is-standard" data-page-element-type="title_text" data-page-element-index="0" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; font-size: 40px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 48px; font-family: Bitter, Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; cursor: default;"><span class="title-text__line font-underline-color--close-to-home" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Sweet Cat Walks Extra Slow To Stay Next To His Best Friend On Crutches</span></h1><div class="js-ad-inserter-target--inactive" data-parent-element-index="0" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; box-sizing: inherit;"></div><section class="subtitle u-color--black" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; box-sizing: inherit; position: relative; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: 30px; font-family: Quicksand, Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-top: 15px;"><p class="subtitle__text" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">"It made me quite emotional! It's really lovely" ❤</p></section></div><div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Gerard Keane and his sweet cat, Mitcho, have always been inseparable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For the past 16 years, the two old friends have done just about everything together. Everything.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A few weeks back, however, an unfortunate accident put a pause on the good thing Keane and Mitcho had going.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Keane suffered a fall, breaking his hip in the process. He ended up needing an extended stay at the hospital to undergo a hip replacement. Meanwhile, Mitcho pined away at home, missing his best friend dearly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"They were separated for four weeks," Aoife, Keane's daughter, told The Dodo. "Mitcho always follows him around the house and sits by him in the garden, so he must have been devastated."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">That absence only seemed to deepen the cat's love for Keane. Ever since he was released from the hospital to recover at home, Mitcho has insisted on staying close.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Keane is still recovering from the hip replacement and needs to use crutches. To help regain his strength, he's been taking daily walks around the neighborhood for exercise, slowly but steadily.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And, thanks to Mitcho, never alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Though for his whole life, the cat never once chose to step beyond the family's driveway, the thought of Keane lumbering down the street all by himself inspired a change in Mitcho. Now, when Keane steps out for a walk, Mitcho always joins him — moving extra slow, so his best friend has no trouble keeping pace.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Seeing that pure expression of friendship moved Keane's daughter to tears.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"It made me quite emotional!" she said. "It's really lovely."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Mitcho's love for Keane is also making a difference.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">With his cat's encouragement on those daily walks, and the warmth of his affection during all moments in between, Keane is steadily on the mend.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"He’s recovering really well," Aoife said. "Mitcho has been great company and comfort for my dad. He’s more affectionate than ever and always at his side."<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><br></div><div>———————-</div><div><br></div><div>Photos . . .</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_111619_01.jpg">http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_111619_01.jpg</a></div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_111619_02.jpg">http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_111619_02.jpg</a></div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_111619_03.jpg">http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_111619_03.jpg</a></div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_111619_04.jpg">http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_111619_04.jpg</a></div><div><br></div><div>———————————————</div><div><br></div><div><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">“Caturday”</b><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> by Linus Petit</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_by_Linus_Petit.mp3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_by_Linus_Petit.mp3</a></div><div><br><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>