After overnight hospital scare, 17-year-old cat comes home happy and hungry for snacks, owner takes the opportunity to appreciate their life together

Author image for Briana Viser
Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Sep 1, 2026 8:45 AM EDT

Through the thick and thin, there's always something to appreciate. 

Our little furry friends mean more to us that we can even express sometimes. We want to do everything for them, and at the same time we could become so engulfed in our own lives that we lose sight of giving attention and gratitude to the tiny furballs. Like in this story below, where a woman found her baby Lint when he was just 8 weeks old in an alley near her work. Now he's 17 years old, a senior cat, and has had some health issues lately. He's been having trouble breathing and wheezing. He spent the night at the hospital, but the next day he came home happy and healthy. Sometimes it takes something like this to make us appreciate what's in front of us, and to reminisce about all the wonderful things we have. 

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    Cheezburger Image 10659825152
    via u/Pretty_Pictures_
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    Just wanted to give an update about Lint!
    via u/Pretty_Pictures_
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    He was able to come after an evening in the hospital. Lint was having a hard time breathing and
    via u/Pretty_Pictures_
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    was wheezing. He had just been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in early July and was doing great.
    via u/Pretty_Pictures_
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    The thing with that is once they are medicated and everything evens out, other underlying issues
    via u/Pretty_Pictures_
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    that may have been hidden can pop up.
    via u/Pretty_Pictures_
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    Lint has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Heart disease where the muscle thicken making it harder to pump blood.
    via u/Pretty_Pictures_
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    He also had air pockets in his intestines from the body struggling to catch a breath. His
    via u/Pretty_Pictures_
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    doctors have put him on a diuretic and blood pressure medications. Lint is doing much
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    better and was very happy to be home again, politely asking for his favorite Delectables pouches.
    via u/Pretty_Pictures_
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    He got some and of course, all the pets, hugs, and cuddles he wanted.
    via u/Pretty_Pictures_
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    While this may not be the wanted outcome, we are so glad that he is back home. We will love this
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    gentle guy for as long as he is around, and make things as comfortable as possible for him.
    via u/Pretty_Pictures_
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    I've had Lint since I found him in the alley way behind the business I ran when he was 8 weeks old. I
    via u/Pretty_Pictures_
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    can't believe so much time has passed since then. What a
    via u/Pretty_Pictures_

  • Appreciating what we have in life isn't something that we can do all the time. It can be consuming to just think about all that we're grateful for, and after a certain point, it's not even helpful. We still need to be productive and do all of our tasks. If we're fixated on being appreciative all the time, we'll never get anything done! There's a laundry list of things to be appreciative for – our families, our friends, our job, our home, and our pets. But ultimately we don't need to do it all the time. I do think about my cat all the time, and love our snuggle time together. He's basically my soulmate, but of course I also have to live my life!

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    beautiful gentleman he has been and I'm so glad that he chose me to be his mom!!
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    Thank you all so very much for the positive thoughts and kind words! I appreciate it more than I can say.
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    Give all of your fur babies pets from me and Lint!
    via u/Pretty_Pictures_
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    MaryHartmanx2 Lint is so beautiful and your love for him really shines through. I'm glad he's home!
    via u/MaryHartmanx2

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appreciation Cats senior cats positivity
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