Man Suffers Spider Bite to the Leg, but His Cat Sensed the Infection First

A man who suffered a nasty infection as a result of a spider bite on his leg is being well looked after by his pet cat.

In fact, he suspects his feline friend may have spotted the early signs of the infection before he did and was apparently trying to warn him.

Cats can sometimes come across as aloof, but the truth is that our feline friends are very much attached to their human owners. In 2019, a study published in Current Biology highlighted how cats have a level of attachment to their owner not entirely dissimilar to that of a child and parent.

Researchers proved this during a test in which a pet owner and cat spent two minutes together in a new room, after which the owner left, leaving the feline alone in the room for two more minutes.

The cat's owner then returned for another two minutes.

Experts noticed that most of the felines in the study responded by seeing their owner as a source of secure attachment. They appeared happy and content but were not necessarily seeking too much in the way of petting or affection.

In this subtle way, the cats involved were showing that they cared.

Lunai certainly found a way to show his owner, Alexander Paulino of Massachusetts, that he cares. The cuddly black cat has been part of Paulino's life ever since he answered an ad on Facebook Marketplace.

"Lunai is a lovely cat," Paulino told Newsweek. "He likes playing with toys but gets bored very quickly. He is really relaxed and well behaved. Lunai does not like getting picked up but tolerates it. He prefers bonding in the morning or late evening and likes to sleep on me from time to time."

Paulino said Lunai will usually snuggle up to sleep next to his head. However, ever since he returned from hospital after suffering the nasty infection, Lunai has taken to snuggling up next to the affected leg.

He said the infection was the result of a spider bite. "I am not sure what kind of spider, but it was an evil one," Paulino said. What he does know is that, for whatever reason, Lunai seemed to sense there was a problem. "It feels like he knew my leg was infected, but it was also warmer than usual," Paulino said.

Not only that, Paulino suspects Lunai knew something was up before even his owner knew it had become infected as a result of the bite.

"He was looking at my right leg, but I didn't think anything of it," Paulino explained.

It was more than just that, though. In the days leading up to the discovery of his infection, Lunai had made a point of following him to the bathroom.

"He typically never follows me into the bathroom," Paulino said. "Since I have started getting better, he has not followed me back into the bathroom either. So it was definitely a strange behavior. But he is a strange cat."

Whatever the truth behind his cat's apparent premonition, Lunai has been extra affectionate to Paulino since he got home. It's made a huge difference, prompting the proud cat owner to share on Reddit a picture of his feline friend cuddling up close to his leg.

"I was kind of feeling down," Paulino said. "But my cat really helped brighten my day, so I figured it could brighten someone else's day."

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.