Salem was rescued with two broken legs when he was just 7 weeks old. He swiftly recovered and flourished after being treated at the clinic, eventually blooming into the sassiest, most confident cat his family has ever known.
“If you don’t feed him on time at 8 a.m.,” Salem’s mother, Hailee Weader, told The Dodo, “he’ll sit on top of you and swot your face or yank your hair until you wake up.” “He’ll follow us around the house, meowing or ‘talking’ to us all, and even into the shower.” If we ignore him or he doesn’t like anything, he’ll go out and find the nearest plant, knock it off the windowsill or table, and create a big mess.”
Despite his strong opinions on things, Salem is also very in tune with people’s feelings, especially his mom’s. As Salem grew, it quickly became clear to Weader that even though she had rescued him, he was going to end up rescuing her in a different way.
“If it’s been a bad day or I’m having a panic attack, he’ll come to sit on me or nuzzle beside me and start kneading my legs and purring,” Weader said. “He’s definitely been a comfort through everything this past year.”
As Weader began to plan for her final year of college, she quickly realized she couldn’t do it without Salem, so he became her official college emotional support cat.
“He was like a little star around campus, and people would stop us and speak or pet him for a long every time we were walking or I was carrying him in his cat stroller,” Weader said.
When graduation finally arrived, Weader knew that, just like with most things, she couldn’t do it without Salem. He’d been such a huge part of her college experience and deserved to graduate too, so she decided to get him his very own cap and gown so that he could proudly graduate alongside her with a degree in emotional support.
Due to the epidemic, the graduation was held as a drive-by, and Salem rode proudly with his mother, delighted to be a part of her great day. People couldn’t get enough of Salem and his graduation costume after that, which is understandable.
Weader remarked, “Everyone was raving and adoring his attire all around.” “Everything worked great, and we were able to enjoy and celebrate our ceremony.”
Weader had no clue when she first met Salem that he would be able to assist her go through so much in life. Salem, on the other hand, is more than delighted to repay the favour after everything his mother has done for him.
