Salem, who had two broken legs when he was rescued, was only 7 weeks old. After receiving care at the vet, he recovered swiftly, matured, and eventually blossomed into the sassiest, most self-assured cat his family has ever known.
“If you don’t wake up at 8 a.m. on the dot to feed him, he’ll sit on top of you and swat your face or pull your hair until you wake up,” Hailee Weader, Salem’s mom, told The Dodo. “He’ll walk around the house meowing or ‘talking’ to us all and follow us everywhere, even into the shower. If we ignore him or he doesn’t like something, he’ll find the nearest plant and knock it off the windowsill or table and make a huge mess.”
Salem has strong ideas, but he also has a great sense of empathy, especially for his mother. Weader realized as Salem matured that although she had first saved him, he would ultimately save her in a different way.
He will come sit on me or cuddle up next to me and begin massaging my legs while purring, according to Weader, if it has been a difficult day or I am experiencing a panic attack. Through everything this past year, “he’s undoubtedly been a comfort.”
As Weader began to prepare for her senior year of college, she quickly realized that there was no way she could do it without Salem — so he officially became her college emotional support cat.
“He was kind of like a little celebrity around campus, and every time we’d be walking or I’d be pushing him in his cat stroller, people would stop us and talk or pet him for a while,” Weader said.
When graduation day eventually came, Weader realized that, like with most things, she needed Salem to succeed. She made the decision to get him his very own cap and gown so that he could proudly graduate with her with a degree in emotional support because he had been such a significant part of her college experience and deserved to graduate too.
Due to the epidemic, the graduation was scheduled as a drive-by ceremony, and Salem gladly rode with his mother to share in her great day. After then, Salem and his graduation attire became the talk of the town, and it makes sense why.
Weader said that “everyone was raving and liked his clothing all around.” “Everything worked well, and we were able to rejoice and enjoy our ceremony.”
When Weader first met Salem, she had no idea that he would eventually be able to help her through so much in life. After everything his mom did to help him, though, Salem is more than happy to return the favor.
