UNITED KINGDOM – The famous saying goes that cats have nine lives.
However, this pet owner believes his 21-year-old cat The Bear has at least 15 lives – listing all the precarious incidents and illnesses he has managed to survive.
Author Tom Cox, who is from Devon, described how his cat escaped death after being dumped by the side of a motorway by his original owner.
He explained that The Bear survived getting carbon monoxide poisoning, falling into the garden pond, as well as a case of heartbreak.
The black cat also somehow managed to endure being attacked by a ‘feral cat’, who ‘ripped holes in both his ears and his throat’.
He has suffered a wide range of ailments over the years, including most of his fur falling out because he was allergic to fleas. He was also sadly diagnosed with cancer – which later vanished.
Most recently, The Bear also survived being accidentally locked outside in Storm Angus, after the electronic cat flap ran out of battery.
Tom, who is the author of Close Encounters Of The Furred Kind, tweeted the list under the heading: ‘The 15 Lives of my 21-year-old Cat, The Bear (Of Which I Am Aware)’.
Others took to Twitter commenting on The Bear’s remarkable survival power, with one person suggesting: ‘Maybe he’s a vampire?’
Jennifer Boyle went on to question: ‘Is it possible that The Bear is immortal?’ while Kay added: ‘He’s a survivor!’
Many viewers were also touched by the story of the cat’s heartbreak after the neighbor’s cat Biscuit refused ‘his gentle advances’.
Ian stated that number 9 was ‘particularly poignant’, while Rebecca simply tweeted ‘Biscuit’ followed by a series of crying face emojis.
Long live The Bear!
