After 22 precious years with beloved Norwegian Forest cat Sofus, owner reminds us to take advantage of our fur babies and give to them each and every day

Author image for Briana Viser
Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Aug 27, 2026 2:15 PM EDT

We never think about the moment we lose something precious until it happens. Don't let it happen to you. 

Days come and go. Usually in our hustle and bustle lives we don't stop to consider everything good; usually we just carry on each day with the same tiredness or happiness without the sense of immense gratitude, and that's completely human. There's too many complicated feelings all the time to focus just on gratitude or appreciation, but you just never know what you had until it's gone. That's exactly what happens in this story, when a cat owner has to let go of his 22 year old Norwegian Forest cat, Sofus. He's had her for nearly 15 years, and claims she's been with him through everything. Is it possible to grieve for a four legged animal the same you would grieve for a person? He would say yes. Sofus had been with him through thick and thin, through all the good and the bad. He had some health issues, and Sofus was always there for him. After he recovered, he put a lot of his energy outward, and thought that this was the way to go about life, without realizing that everything he loved and cared for was just at home waiting for him. After Sofus crossed the rainbow bridge, all the little memories came together and hit him like a brick wall. Sometimes that happens with grief, and we all experience it differently. 

He leaves us with a message outside of just the appreciation and acknowledgement for how amazing of a cat she was. It's to take the things we love in life and appreciate them day after day, and not wait until we can't. Sofus saved him, and made his life more bearable, and that's why he wants to leave everyone with the notion that we should be appreciating our fur babies. Here's to Sofus, who gave someone a beautiful life. If you're someone with a fur baby, or want a fur baby, keep in mind the immense responsibility involved. Don't wait for the last minute to give love and appreciation to your beloved pet. 

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    Sofus turned 22 years old, and has been with me for more than not just half - but two-thirds of my life.
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    Sofus was exceptionally warm and loving, and completely irreplaceable.
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    I knew in advance that it would hurt a lot when the time came for Sofus to move on, but nothing
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    could prepare me for how heartbreaking it would actually be.
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    One may doubt that it is possible to grieve for a four-legged friend as much as a human, but I am in
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    deep sorrow. A painful grief that feels like it will never go away.
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    It is not until the moment Sofus was gone that all the little
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    memories I had of him came together and hit me like an emotional brick wall.
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    Hearing his paws moving up the stairs, his gaze when he seeks attention, his meows, when he
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    gently puts his paw on my shoulder to politely ask for a cuddle. His adorable and silly faces
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    he would often make. That I will never experience those things again makes my heart scream.
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    He was there all the time through the worst times of my life - through health crises, loneliness,
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    severe depre son, and whatever else life has thrown at me. When I was completely alone, he was
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    always by my side, without exception. We humans really don't deserve the love that animals give us.
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    I have spent so much time sick and isolated at home, that I have no doubt that Sofus' company has
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    saved me. He made my life far more bearable, more than I could know.
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    9
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    SOFUS
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    Ever since my health became sufficiently good, I have been in a desperate attempt to make up for
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    lost time I have been so focused on moving outward making a mark in the world, that I forgot what
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    treasure awaited me at home. I sought joy through exciting adventures in the distance, and the only joy I want now is to feel his warm fur while listening to his purr.
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    No time I spent with Sofus was "lost time".
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    I had a very special bond with Sofus. Hearing his last breath took something away from me that I will never get back.
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    Sofus will always be one of the most beautiful gifts I have had in my life.
    via u/TobiasEdvardsen

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