In homes across Ann Arbor (and the world), cats are offering comfort in quiet, profound ways. These local interviews celebrate the gentle routines, quirky habits and unconditional love that make each cat-and-human relationship beautifully unique.
We asked interviewees about their relationships with their cats, including their backgrounds, emotional support, physical comfort, health connections and more. This article hopes to share and promote the cat community, healing, good mental health, love of cats and more positivity.
Jenny and Max
About you: My name is Jenny, and I have lived in Ann Arbor most of my life. I graduated from Pioneer and went to Eastern. I am a retired elementary school teacher. Currently, I am self-employed as an end-of-life doula.
Emotional support: One of my favorite things about my cat, Max, is that he always knows when I need him. He just shows up. I am comforted by his loud purr. If he is sitting in my lap purring while I pet him, it makes me happy and content.
Physical comfort: I have trained Max to come when I want to cuddle with him. He can be anywhere in the house, sometimes hiding, and I will say,”Max, let’s cuddle” or “Max, it’s time to cuddle.” He usually shows up within 5 minutes and jumps up on the bed, chair, or couch (depending on where I am), and he will stay with me for as long as I want him.
Health connection: He definitely reminds me to slow down and rest! I just always have to smile when I see him because he is so cute.
Daily life impact: I think because my sons are grown and I don’t have anyone to “take care of” at home, Max fills that void for me. It’s sort of like having a child again. I have to feed him and make sure he is healthy, etc. It makes me feel good to have another being to take care of. We have our routine, too. He usually sleeps with me and is always so patient in the morning when I wake up. He will sometimes “meow” to try to wake me, but he is not obnoxious about it. When I finally get up, he follows me and looks at me, probably saying, “Feed me!” If I talk to him, he will “meow” back until I feed him.
Unique bond: Honestly, anytime I feel down or have a bad day, it’s like, he knows. He just shows up and is there.
Is there something special about your cat or your relationship you’d like readers to know? Max is 13, and we got him from the Humane Society when he was 9 months old. On the sheet that they give you, it said he liked apples. So we quickly learned, he does like apples and most fruits! (not citrus) Cantelope, watermelon and cucumbers are his favorite. Whenever anyone is cutting up one of those three things, he knows. He will come and sit there and watch you until you give him some! It is the funniest thing! Again, like he knows when I have a bad day, he knows when we are eating his favorite fruits!
RELATED: Furry Friends Photo Contest
Justin and his 2 cats
About me: My name is Justin Petersmark, and I’m a financial advisor who’s grown up in the Ann Arbor area through the last 15 years. My fiancée and I have two cats.
Emotional support: Cats aren’t quite like dogs. I love dogs, don’t get me wrong, but they’re just different. Dogs, generally, WANT to give affection and receive care from their owners. Cats can be more fickle, sometimes outright strange. This means when one of our two orange cats seeks me out and settles into my lap, it’s not because they have no other alternatives (like the cat bed that likely has more dust than cat hair in it) but because they are comforted and happier to be with me. This thought, in turn, brings me comfort. There is also another, more general concept: being able to communicate with another animal, extending an idea beyond even the simplest words, is something that will always fascinate me. One of our cats loves to get close and gently cup my face with his paws, trying to pull me closer so he can nuzzle his head against mine. “You make me happy. I want to be here with you.”
Physical comfort: I’m afraid I don’t have much to add here that most cat owners will tell you. The warm weight as they settle on your lap and the feel of their soft purring is worth the 3 minutes of pain their thin legs can push into you while they think about the absolute best way to lie down. Our youngest cat, just a year old now, has developed a particularly teddy-bear-esque texture to his fur that makes picking him up feel like being at a Toys ‘ R ‘ Us again.
Health connection: Well, they forced me to finally start an allergy shot regimen! Without it, I’d almost certainly be blowing through $150 boxes of tissues a year and even more on nasal sprays (no change on my daily allergy pill intake, though). They’re usually cooking up some bizarre activity that gives me a good laugh, too, which I think everyone could use more of these days. They really can be strange creatures!
Daily life impact: While we don’t have to worry about walking them, they do have some impacts on life. Our cats absolutely cannot be in our bedroom at night, because they just love 2am hijinks like sniffing our faces or clawing at our mattress from under the bed. We also take precautions to prevent the (thankfully exceedingly rare) instances of making our sofa into a litterbox by keeping the cushions laid over the seats until we’re using the couch. We’ve got auto feeders and still have to monitor their eating since they’ve become keen on the “sharing is caring” principle despite our older cat requiring prescription food.
Unique bond: They’re like having friends in that sometimes they might do something that gets on your nerves, or they might make you shake your head at them, but those times are few and far between the moments that make you understand that life is better when you’re together.
Anything else: Not really, but here’s our boys!! The big one was born with one slightly malformed ear, but it doesn’t slow him down one bit.
Izzie, Luke, and Little Mack
About owner: My name is Izzie Lenhardt. I am a recent graduate of Michigan State University’s College of Engineering. I moved to Ann Arbor with my family in 2013, just before I started sixth grade. In 2021, I moved to East Lansing for college, but I just recently moved back to the area. My cat’s name is Little Mack. He’s a five-year-old orange rescue.
Emotional support: Mack is a very loving pet who has certainly made my life better. I often seek him out if I’m not having a good day because I find his company reassuring. He sometimes notices I’m upset and sits with me.
Physical comfort: Mack brings me a lot of physical comfort. He will often come sit with or on me, which is calming. I also like to listen to his purring because I find it soothing when I’m feeling anxious.
Health connection: As someone with anxiety, I have generally high stress levels and the physical symptoms that come with it. Spending time with Mack is grounding, so he often helps prevent my anxiety from escalating into panic. While Mack is certainly not going to cure my anxiety, I truly believe he has helped me cope with it.
Daily life impact: Having Mack gives me a consistent reason to get out of bed on hard days. Knowing I am responsible for his well-being is a powerful motivator. Even if taking care of myself is difficult, I would never want to neglect his needs. I structure many of my daily routines around him.
Unique bond: I find deep pressure therapy (DPT) beneficial when I am experiencing panic. While I was having a mild panic attack, Mack came over to me and laid on my chest. I didn’t teach him to provide DPT, but in that moment, he unknowingly provided a lot of support.
Anything else: Mack was originally my grandparents’ cat. They had three dogs and another cat at the time and fostered service dogs. Due to the somewhat chaotic environment, Mack was acting out, and my grandparents wanted to rehome him. I begged my parents to let me take him instead. That was about three years ago, and he has really opened up since living with me. He is much more social and confident now.
Diane and Sheba
About owner: I’m Diane Black. I came from NY in 1969 as a Junior transfer student to the U of M, majoring in French. I taught at the Rudolf Steiner School in Ann Arbor for 20+ years, 17 of them as a kindergarten teacher. Prior to teaching, I worked at several iconic Ann Arbor businesses – Follett’s Book Store, Thano’s Lamplighter, Mr. Flood’s Party and the Del Rio. I am a dedicated Farmers’ Market patron (did a stint on the Advisory Board) and coop shopper/member. I’ve lived on the West Side (now known as Water Hill) for 45+ years, the past 37 in the same house!
Oh, CATS!!! I’d never had a cat growing up but have made up for that lack during most of the years I’ve lived in Ann Arbor! They’ve seen me through many ups and downs!
Emotional support: My current companion is Sheba, a Siamese/Calico rescue cat. She came to live with me 4 years ago this past summer, and she is now around 5 years old. The “last cats”, Sheba’s predecessors, were non-pedigreed Siamese. Penny lived to 15, Panther to 16, and Pearl to 21!! They were a family, part of my family (husband and 2 sons included). When Pearl passed on (oh, he was a real honey), I thought that was it for me. However, the COVID pandemic had me seek out feline comfort and companionship! Sheba and I found each other through Michigan Siamese Rescue. We continue to develop our relationship! She is very affectionate on her own terms! She will sit on my lap, lie on my chest, and sleep right next to me. She does not like to be picked up or carried. I’d always trimmed my cats’ nails but…. not Sheba’s!
Health connection: Sheba absolutely helps me slow down—often to a standstill! Or, more correctly, sit still, or lie down! Sheba often dips her paw into the dregs of the frothed milk pitcher from my coffee. I’m not positive if Sheba helps me sleep better or not. I think mostly she does! I’m very conscious of where she is in the bed if I get up in the night! She often moves to the warmth of “my spot” if I leave it at all! I think Sheba and I provide comfort and support for each other. I have a wonderful neighbor with whom I share cat care for days away. I was recently in NH for 4 days and Sheba was glommed onto my side for many days.
Living by myself, I am very grateful to have Sheba’s company. When my granddaughter asked me, “Nana, when you’re at home, do you talk?” My reply was “Well, I talk to myself, and I talk to Sheba, and I talk on the phone, and if I don’t speak to any people during the day, I feel sad.” Now, I have three grandchildren in Ann Arbor (7, 9 1/2, and 12) who live a mile away and who I spend almost every afternoon with, and usually help Sheba with the companionship part! The 4-year-old granddaughter in NH seems to get along with her really well when she visits!
Anything else: I feel like Sheba and I are meant to be! She is a wonderful companion!!
Luke and Savannah
Emotional support: Savannah gave her entire family unconditional love in the purest way only a pet can. After she outgrew her brief “tail-attacking phase,” she became a gentle, devoted companion who seemed to cherish every family member equally. She delighted in the little joys of life—treats from her person, warm strokes along her fur, and peaceful walks outside on her halter. In those quiet moments, she offered comfort, connection and a steady presence that made everything feel a little more whole.
Health & healing: After COVID, stress and anxiety touched everyone in the household—Savannah included. Yet through it all, there was a shared tenderness. We practiced patience with one another, offering soft words, calming touches and a deep sense of care. In giving and receiving that comfort, our hearts and bodies slowly found their way back to balance. Savannah was an important part of that healing, a silent strength who soothed simply by being nearby.
Always remembered: Savannah has recently passed, but her memory is—and always will be—a blessing. She was the most wonderfully dramatic cat we’ve ever known, full of personality and fierce determination when she was on the hunt for moles, birds or even the occasional bat. And still, beneath that fiery spirit lived an even stronger love for her family. Her presence, her quirks and her unconditional devotion will live on in our hearts forever. We know she is happy in kitty cat heaven for eternity.
Paws of Comfort: Ann Arbor Cat Stories—In Loving Memory of Savannah
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
