One incredibly sad but true image has really struck a chord with people online. And it shows just how important pets can be.

Cats and dogs make better friends than people. Yes, that sounds harsh. But let’s face it, it’s true.

A cat or a dog gives their owner nothing but love. Sure, sometimes they can be difficult to look after. But they’re so worth it.

The story of an old woman and her cat best friend really shows just how important pets are to us.

The old woman had lived a long and full life. She managed to raise a family and see her kids thrive when they grew up.

Sadly, her husband passed away. She became incredibly lonely. So she bought a cat, Oliver, to keep her company.

Oliver was the perfect companion. He loved nothing more than snuggling up with his owner.

For years, Oliver and the old woman were happy with one another. But then the old woman got sick.

As the days passed by, she became weaker and weaker. She tried to stay at home as much as possible. But eventually, she had to go to a hospice.

One of the old woman’s children took Oliver in.

Oliver could tell what was happening, and became incredibly sad, even though he was familiar with his new owner.

One day, the old woman knew that she wasn’t going to make it into the nighttime.

Her children all came to her side. She had only one request. She wanted to see Oliver again.

So her child picked up the cat and took him to the hospice.

Oliver was happy to see the old woman again. But he could see just how ill she was. He knew what he had to do.

Oliver jumped onto the old woman’s bed and snuggled up to her.

The old woman started smiling. She was surrounded by the people she loved most in the world.

Over the next few hours, she said her final goodbyes to her children. She assured them that she had lived an amazing life and was proud of all of them.

Then she lost consciousness. Oliver was still nestled in her arms. He stuck by her side for as long as he could.

The old woman passed away. Reluctantly, they lifted Oliver up and made their way home.

In the coming weeks, Oliver got used to living with her former owner’s child. But he would never forget his first owner.

A photo of Oliver and the old woman then appeared online. It soon went viral. To date, it has gained over 475,00 views. It also has more than 13,000 likes and 600 comments. People have been saying things like this:

Images like this aren’t fun to look at. But everyone needs to see them now and then to give life some perspective.

What’s really important isn’t making lots of money. It’s living a fulfilling life that makes others happy. The old woman in this photo did that with her kids and with Oliver. And the world is a better place because of it.

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Source: I Heart Cats