A woman’s beloved rescue cat found a unique way of helping her through the initial challenges of having two young children.
Long before Taylor Mickle, a married mom of two from New Jersey, had her two young sons, Christopher and Michael, she had her cat Noel.
Noel is one of three cats in the family, alongside fellow felines Oliver and Ruby. “We adopted her from the Sarama Animal Rescue,” Mickle told Newsweek. “She’s always been the sweetest girl and really went into a mother role when we brought our third cat, Ruby, home.” That mother role has been on display in other, more unique ways, around the house.
Because when Noel is not enjoying cuddles, playing with her cat siblings or settling in to enjoy her favorite home-cooked chicken dinner, she is helping out Mickle with her two babies, who are both under the age of 2. “She is always watching after my two babies,” Mickle said. “She’s truly the sweetest cat.”
Noel’s maternal instincts came to the fore when Mickle brought Michael, the younger of her two infant sons home from the hospital. “It was the second night our second son was brought home,” Mickle said. “We noticed in the morning we had a bunch of diapers at our bedroom door the next morning and knew it was one of the cats.”
Every night for the rest of that week, Mickle and her husband would find diapers deposited by their bedroom door. It was only later that she realized Noel was the cat behind it. “I had my baby with me on the couch. She ran over and dropped a diaper next to me,” Mickle said. “Soon, I could just ask for a diaper and she would bring one. She’s very smart.”
In a video posted to her TikTok, @taylormickle1, Mickle shared a clip of the “weird” way Noel helped out. But, while she joked online, Noel’s actions were so much more than just a sweet gesture to Mickle.
“No one tells you how hard postpartum is, and this was my second time going through it, but I also had a 15-month-old to take care of,” Mickle said. “Michael was born pretty small, too, which made me very anxious and nervous. All three of my cats got me through that time, and each of them did something special to help me.”
Mickle’s experience is a reminder of the positive impact pets can have. It goes far beyond their status as cuddle buddies. In 2021, a study published in the journal Anthrozoos identified a link between pet parenthood and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Noel has actually saved Mickle’s life before now. “Last November, I had an arterial dissection and got admitted into the ICU,” she said. “One of the reasons I even went to the ER is because my cats, and Noel specifically, would not leave me alone.”
Mickle said that Noel spent a week lying by her head and neck for a week. “That’s one of the reasons I finally went to the hospital and got my diagnosis. Luckily, I’ve been seen by a neurologist, and everything is fine and healed now.”
So, while Noel and his feline friends may help out in more unusual ways than most, their role in Mickle’s growing family is much appreciated.
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