Hello, pawrents! As Instagram users, you must be familiar with Chris Petty, a famous influencer based in Denver, Colorado, USA. An elemental part of his stories used to be his cat, Mei Mei. As shown by his recently posted reel, Chris and Mei Mei went through a lot together. The reel shows all the highs and lows of Mei Mei’s life: when she was happy or sick, angry or tired, Chris was there for her. In turn, Mei Mei was present at all the important stages of his life. Mei Mei was more than a companion. She was his family.
How It All Began
Chris adopted Mei Mei when he was 15. Back then, Chris was still living with his family. As Mei Mei was there for him throughout his adolescence, when Chris had to finally move out to go to college, he decided to take Mei Mei with him. His decision was partially motivated also by his sister’s aggravating allergic reactions towards cats. His sister was devastated to have Mei Mei removed from their household, but it was for the better.
Mei Mei as a Companion
Chris definitely got the long end of the stick since he had Mei Mei as his loyal friend throughout his early 20s. Mei Mei was fun to be around. She shared his passions (i.e. she also fancied music) and she was his sustainable alarm clock (as she kept meowing loudly every morning to wake him up). She was also the best-heated pillow he ever owned (as Mei Mei loved to cuddle next to him in the bed). Sharing the same activities with Chris was simply her love language and Chris adored that. With her doting blue eyes watching every step of his, Chris knew that wherever Mei Mei was, he was safe. In his words, Mei Mei was ‘a reassuring cloud that floated with him everywhere.’
Chris, a Busy, but Loving Father
Chris trusted Mei Mei also when it came to making decisions. For instance, he would be very wary of her opinion in regard to possible roommates. You see, Chris works as a flight attendant, which means that he is often away. Therefore, he had always preferred to share his flat with someone else so they could have kept an eye on Mei Mei.
Mei Mei’s First Signs of the Illness
Mei Mei lived a long, fulfilling life. Her death was sudden, but expected, at her respectable age of 15. Around that age, Mei Mei started losing weight. Hearing her sorrowful meows, Chris knew that something was not right. He rushed Mei Mei to the nearest vet clinic and there they found out that her kidneys were failing. The doctors and nurses were kind enough to teach him how to administer fluid IVs and medication so Mei Mei could spend her final days at home. Chris did his best to take care of Mei Mei and at some point, he even hoped that she would recover soon.
Mei Mei’s Condition During and After Treatment
Unfortunately, her condition worsened. Chris had to call in sick so many times that he almost got fired from his work. He did not have the heart to leave Mei alone during her final days on earth. He loved Mei Mei so much that he slept on the floor to keep her company. He hand-fed her turkey-flavoured baby food and he would help her get on the couch or the bed since her arthritis had made it difficult for her to jump.
Heartbroken to watch Mei Mei suffer, Chris decided that it would be better for her to be put down. Full of desolation, Chris typed in the digits of the vet clinic. He scheduled Mei Mei for at-home euthanasia. The morning of her appointment, she woke him up, like always, by shouting and nuzzling into his stomach. He wrapped her up in a blanket, held her in his lap, and thanked her for everything. After Chris whispered in her ear that he loved her, he hummed a tune he knew Mei Mei liked. It was the Mario Kart Love Song. She passed away during the first chorus.
Mei Mei Lives in Chris’ Heart Forever
Chris really misses his mornings with Mei Mei, but he is glad that she does not have to feel pain anymore. The bond between these two shows that ‘home’ is not always your family, friends or lovers. It can also refer to pets who have always been there for your every step. From this bittersweet story we can learn that no matter how busy we are, we should always try to make time for our beloved cats because we never know what the future holds. Follow Chris's Twitch account here.
