Wholesome Wins·
SAUL'S LAST NIGHT
A dying cat's final night becomes a worldwide vigil as strangers flood a home with love, sharing memories and bedside prayers in real time.
Would you stay up for that final night?
Be one of the first to vote.
Saul was dying, and his person wanted the internet to love him through one last night.
The post opened with a small miracle of a cat: "the best cat i could have dreamed of," "the niftiest companion for the last 7 years." Saul, the poster said, had been one of those cats the cat distribution system simply misfiled. He "showed up in my yard and refused to leave," even though his actual owners lived caddy-corner behind the house. He had decided on a home and was not interested in negotiations.
Then the neighbors moved.
When Saul's previous owners left, they asked the poster to keep him, because he wanted to stay there. The poster said they were "beyond happy" to do it, and called it "one of the best things to happen for me." Saul had not just wandered in; he had made himself part of the place, and then part of the family.
For seven years, he stayed.
Now the story had turned. Saul had "a cancerous ulcer on the roof of his mouth," and it had progressed to the point that "it's time to let him rest tomorrow." The poster said tonight was for "showering him with as much love and affection as he can get," and asked strangers to "send him some loving vibes."
The image was simple: a beloved cat on his final night, surrounded by attention, while someone tried to make the hours count. The post was not long, but the affection in it was plain. Saul had arrived as an uninvited visitor and become the center of a home.
Then the response came flooding in.
In an edit, the poster said they were "absolutely blown away by the response" and that Saul was being "absolutely inundated" with love. They said they would try to reply to everyone, but even if they couldn't, they were reading every reply and felt gratitude for each of them.
They also added one more detail from the bedside: they were telling Saul about people's pets "on the other side," so he could look out for them and "he'll make sure to let your babies know you love them."
What began as a cat that refused to leave a yard ended with a final night of messages, memories, and a crowd of strangers sending love to Saul before tomorrow came.