Deciding to own a pet is like opening oneself up to a whole lot of responsibilities. Of course, there are many benefits, too.

Whether you and your furbaby are going out for an adventure, or even just sitting next to each other on the couch, your pet will make every day much more memorable than they would be without them.

The bond formed between people and their pets highlights the simple, ordinary joy and pleasure we derive from their companionship.

That’s why when 4-year-old little Abby’s cat, Bailey, was getting ready to cross the rainbow bridge, she sat down and lovingly sang “You Are My Sunshine” to him for the last time.

Erin Merryn was in College when she adopted Bailey, an orange tabby cat.

She adored him so much that she even snuck Bailey into her dorm room. And when Merryn finally started a family, Bailey was still right beside her to grace the growing bunch.

Bailey was around when Merryn brought home her first precious daughter, Abby.

Bailey instantly fell in love with Abby, and Merryn explained to Love Meow that the cat stayed by the baby’s side and gave her snuggles, purrs, and affection.

This behavior of Bailey’s remained consistent even on the arrival of Merryn’s second and third child.

Abby and her siblings have grown to love Bailey to no end.

They loved him with all their hearts and included him in all aspects of their daily life, which they photographed and recorded.

Merryn, a mom that, at first, was not quite sure how the cat would respond to her kids, soon found that Bailey displayed an astonishingly protective brother-like behavior to her children.

Bailey was so remarkable that he was even dubbed with the nickname “No Ordinary Cat”.

Merryn confessed to PEOPLE that she was very lucky to have such an extraordinary cat.

“I have always said if everyone had a Bailey there would be a lot less people in this world lonely or depressed. I always told people there was a little human inside Bailey.”

She told them that the cat gets along with the girls well. He had no qualms with his tiny human siblings dressing him up, bathing him, pushing him like a baby in a stroller, or even sitting in a high-chair wearing a bib.

Bailey was included in their picnics, school play, and even promoted the lemonade stands of the girls.

Bailey just loved these girls and let them do whatever they wanted to him. It was incredible.

The girls’ special bond with Bailey was captured through videos and photos, which Merryn shared on social media.

Bailey’s fan base grew, largely due to his social media followers.

Sadly though, this spread of joy and positive vibes was interrupted after Bailey was diagnosed with kidney problems.

Merryn knew that her 14-year-old cat’s time was near. To soothe Bailey’s pain, Abby sang to her furry best friend.

Curled up on the couch with Bailey, Abby sat and sang “You Are My Sunshine” to her sweet cat once more – only this time, it would be the last song she’d sing to him.

Then, the inevitable happened.

The protective and gentle Bailey passed away only three hours after the video was recorded.

People who watched the video were all teary-eyed and felt the loss of Bailey, too.

The tear-jerking video was so moving that news sources covered the story, and even Ellen DeGeneres featured the family on her show.

The mourning family was then flooded with heartfelt messages of love and support.

And so the family continues to run their “Bailey No Ordinary Cat” social media pages, which are full of happy, positive, and funny memories of the remarkable cat.

Consequently, Erin Merryn published a book of the same title!

As of writing this article, Bailey has maintained his star-power across the globe and continues to be loved by many.

To see the heart-wrenching moment Abby serenades her precious cat as he prepares to cross the rainbow bridge, watch the video below.

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Source: They Are My Sunshine/PEOPLE