Salem, who had two broken legs when he was rescued, was only 7 weeks old. After receiving care at the vet, he recovered swiftly, matured, and eventually blossomed into the sassiest, most self-assured cat his family has ever known.
“If you don’t wake up at 8 a.m. on the dot to feed him, he’ll sit on top of you and swat your face or pull your hair until you wake up,” Hailee Weader, Salem’s mom, told The Dodo. “He’ll walk around the house meowing or ‘talking’ to us all and follow us everywhere, even into the shower.
If we ignore him or he doesn’t like something, he’ll find the nearest plant and knock it off the windowsill or table and make a huge mess.”
Salem has strong ideas, but he also has a great sense of empathy, especially for his mother. Weader realized as Salem matured that although she had first saved him, he would ultimately save her in a different way.
He will come sit on me or cuddle up next to me and begin massaging my legs while purring, according to Weader, if it has been a difficult day or I am experiencing a panic attack. He has undoubtedly provided comfort throughout the course of this last year.
As Weader began to prepare for her senior year of college, she quickly realized that there was no way she could do it without Salem — so he officially became her college emotional support cat.
Every time we would walk or I would push him in his cat carrier, people would stop us and chat with us or pet him for a bit, according to Weader. “He was kind of like a little star around campus,” she said.
When graduation day eventually came, Weader realized that, like with most things, she needed Salem to succeed. She made the decision to get him his very own cap and gown so that he could proudly graduate with her with a degree in emotional support because he had been such a significant part of her college experience and deserved to graduate too.
The graduation was set up as a drive-by ceremony due to the pandemic, and Salem proudly rode with his mom, happy to be a part of her special day. Afterwards, people couldn’t get enough of Salem and his graduation outfit — understandably so.
“Everyone was gushing and adored his outfit all around,” Weader said. “It all worked out, and we were able to enjoy our ceremony and celebrate.”
Weader had no clue that Salem would eventually be able to support her so much in life when they first met. But after everything his mother did to assist him, Salem is more than eager to pay it forward.
