'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAIAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQI/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAgzKH/8QAHxAAAgEEAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIEAwUGEQAHEiFS/9oACAEBAAE/AKGDYDk/RVmdp9lsWTQ4bVFrmfGV5FX4r8dfFipI2Dr0djn/xAAUEQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/9oACAECAQE/AH//xAAUEQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/9oACAEDAQE/AH//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
In the April 7, 2025, episode of the My Favorite Murder podcast, a listener named Jennifer shared an incident from her childhood involving her pet cat. She believes that this observation led to the early detection of a brain tumor.
According to her account, she began experiencing symptoms, including dizziness, nausea, and a high-pitched ringing in her ears when she was six. Around the same time, her calico kitten, Maddie, developed a habit of persistently rubbing the back of Jennifer's head.
"She knew something was wrong with me and was trying to warn us."
Eventually, Jennifer's mother took her to get examined, which led to the diagnosis of a brain tumor.
Trending
Feline behavior that raised questions
Jennifer took everyone back to her childhood when her family brought home a group of kittens from a relative's farm. Among them was Maddie—a beautiful, bold little calico who instantly became part of the family. Jennifer recounted that Maddie loved every one, but she had one unusual habit that stood out.
"She'd climb up on the couch behind me and push so hard she almost knocked me off a couple of times. It was just me—she didn't do it to anyone else."
The behavior didn't make sense at the time, but it stopped completely after Jennifer had surgery to remove the tumor.
"When I got home from the hospital, she jumped up behind me, sniffed my head, and then just… walked away," Jennifer said. "She never pushed on my head again."
Jennifer's mother was visibly shaken. "Oh my God," she whispered in disbelief. They concluded that Maddie must have known something was wrong long before the diagnosis.
Jennifer called Maddie her hero and best friend. The cat stayed by her side for 17 years. She even got a tattoo of Maddie's paw prints as a tribute.
Other notable incidents involving cats and human health
Jennifer's experience is not the only report of domestic cats displaying behavior interpreted as medically significant by their owners. There was a case of a black cat named Mrow who jumped in front of a dog to protect a toddler, literally putting herself in harm's way to save the child.
Perhaps one of the most mysterious cases—a care home cat who would quietly curl up beside patients just hours before they passed away. Staff began to trust the cat's instincts more than any chart or timer.
While such anecdotes continue to circulate, experts have yet to reach a scientific consensus on whether cats possess the ability to detect illness. However, these reports continue to raise questions about animals sensitivity to human physiological or emotional changes.
