Good morning! I posted this story on my Facebook and thought it might be appreciated here.❤ A month ago, my sweet kitty Salem was diagnosed with oral cancer and yesterday, I had to make the difficult decision to schedule an appointment for him to cross over this weekend. I wanted everyone to understand WHY he is so very important to me, so I posted about the time he communicated with me telepathically from 600 miles away. I hope you enjoy the story AND some pictures of my sweet, magical boy.

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12 years ago, I joined the Navy and left my Salem kitty behind with my sister until I got to my permanent duty station (ultimately, San Diego). Not even a year into my service, my sister told me she could no longer take care of Salem and would have to rehome him. I was crushed. I asked around and no one else in my life could take him. She found a home for him with a coworker of her husband-- she promised me it was an AMAZING home for my Salem cat. At this point, Salem had been mine for 6 years and I was devastated that he wouldn't be mine anymore, but I truly had no choice with where I was in my life (barracks).

I went home to visit a few months later and got to see Salem in his new house. It was a modest home and the man (a single father) seemed nice. Salem was so happy to see me, but he seemed healthy and happy with this new family, which put my mind at ease. I stayed there for a while, cuddling and talking to my Salem kitty, and then I left to go back to Illinois.

A month or more passed and one night, when I was sleeping in my rack, I woke up very suddenly to a feeling that can only be described as absolute panic. My gut was screaming that something was wrong with Salem. I knew he was in danger and I had to help him. I started blowing up my sister's phone but she didn't answer....it was well after midnight. I left her a voicemail and text her telling her something was wrong with Salem and begging her to check on him.

When she finally called me back the next morning she was like, "wtf, Mary?!? Salem is fine." I kept telling her, repeatedly, that he wasn't and she needed to check on him. She asked her husband to reach out to his friend and see how Salem was. He did.....no response. They text him. Ignored. They tried for more than a day to get in touch with this man and finally they spotted his car outside his job, so stopped by to check on Salem and ask why he was ignoring them.

My brother in law (BIL) asked him how Salem was and the man said, "i don't know". BIL: "what do you mean you don't know?" Man: "I moved." BIL: "You moved?! So where tf is Salem?" Man: "IDK, I put him outside when I left."

This piece of human excrement never reached out to my sister about Salem. He took an indoor only cat, plopped him outdoors in the middle of the woods, and left him.

My sister and her husband raced back to the (still vacant) house and started calling for Salem. Within seconds, he came trotting out of the treeline right up to them. Almost like he had been waiting for them. He was skin and bones and missing most of his fur.....but was miraculously alive after being abandoned in the woods for almost a month.

My sister figured her situation tf out and kept him for the remaining year like I needed her to, then he and I finally reunited in San Diego.

I cant explain how I knew he was in danger.....and I realize how crazy it sounds. I've never pretended to be a psychic or a telepath....I know in my heart that message I heard that night didn't come from me. It came from Salem. For 18 years, I have shared my life with this absolutely magical kitty cat and, this Sunday, our journey together on this earth will come to an end. I've never seen Salem has my "baby", he has always been my friend. My dearest, oldest friend. When he crosses over on Sunday, a tiny bit of magic will fade from this world and I cannot help but feel overwhelmingly sad that that magic will be gone.