An animal lover has celebrated her rescue cat as a hero after saving her life by alerting her to undiagnosed breast cancer.
Kate King-Scribbins, 35, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer after finding a lump thanks to her cat, Oggy, who was “obsessed” with lying on the left side of her chest.
(Caters News)
“I look back on the changes in his behavior towards me before I was diagnosed with breast cancer and I really believe he was trying to alert me to the dangers growing in my body,” said Kate. “Oggy had always loved snuggling in my arms, but he started to cuddle more aggressively than usual, which was weird.”
For months, the cat focused on Kate’s chest area and more on her left side. Although Kate would lead Oggy to another location, he wouldn’t move and was determined to just lie on the left side of her chest.
This unconsciously prompted Kate to examine her breasts, and after discovering a lump, she was later diagnosed.
(Caters News)
Kate, who was 20 when she saved Oggy, accepts that some people will be skeptical but believes that people with a close bond with their pets will understand.
“I don’t blame people for not believing me, but I don’t look like a crazy cat lady if it means alerting someone else to a health problem sooner,” said Kate.
During her subsequent treatment, Kate made sure to watch Oggy’s behavior closely.
(Caters News)
“I noticed that he continued to behave like this throughout chemotherapy, and it wasn’t until I had surgery and the cancer was finally removed that he stopped focusing on my chest,” said Kate.
Grateful to her cat for helping her identify the problem, Kate said, “If only I had realized what he was trying to tell me. I have a feeling that if he could speak he would call me stupid and say, “I’ve been trying to tell you about this cancer growing in your breast for months. Please make a note and get examined.”
(Caters News)
Kate believes that if only she had noticed and listened to her cat’s behavior earlier, she would have recognized the problem sooner.
After grueling rounds of chemotherapy and a mastectomy, Kate, who also removed part of her stomach in 2019 to prevent cancer from returning after doctors found a rare genetic mutation, is in remission.
(Caters News)
“It’s been a crazy three years when I heard the words ‘You have cancer’, my life changed forever, but my husband was great and I made friends with many cancer survivors. It’s good to talk, “said Kate. “I’m feeling pretty good today, the gastric removal surgery was pretty extensive, but I’m starting to get my body and my life back.”
Kate, who recently returned to the healthcare fraud investigator, lives with her husband Andy, 37, and their four pets.
The couple have two cats and two dogs, and Kate has thanked her pets for their therapeutic help since the beginning of their cancer battle.
“I can’t say I’m on the other side of cancer because, as all cancer patients know, the effects of ongoing treatments and exams never stop. I will continue breast cancer treatment for years to come, ”said Kate.
“Cancer is a part of my life forever and I agree with that. It made me who I am today and I am forever grateful to my amazing animals for their emotional support. “
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