John Duthie, a wheelchair user, shares his home with two beloved cats, Spartacus and Queenie. Spartacus was abandoned and wandered into Duthie’s yard one day, while Queenie was adopted from SA Cat Rescue Inc. (SACR), despite having a missing tail. Both cats have faced their own struggles, as has their owner.
What makes their relationship unique is how the cats interact with Duthie’s disability. While many would expect that the cats might recognize his mobility challenges, they seem to be more interested in the comfort of his wheelchairs. In fact, both Spartacus and Queenie have claimed his wheelchairs as their personal spots for rest.
“Queenie sleeps on my powered wheelchair each night, leaving me with no spare chair because Spartacus is on the manual one,” Duthie told The Dodo.
This behavior often leads to some challenges in the morning. Duthie uses a lift to get into his wheelchair, but it’s not always easy to convince Queenie to leave her comfy spot so he can use it. “The combination of a cat being a cat and their need to sleep is more important than for me to use my mobility device,” he explained. “They don’t seem to understand that I can’t walk. In one way, it’s great that they don’t notice my disability.”
Duthie recently posted a video showing Queenie refusing to vacate her spot on his powered chair, which quickly went viral. The internet loved the sight of Queenie’s stubbornness, as her dad tried to simply go about his day. It’s a classic cat move that many can relate to.
Despite the occasional difficulty Queenie and Spartacus cause, Duthie has ensured his home is fully accessible for both himself and his furry companions. The only real obstacles he faces are his cats’ love for his wheelchairs. Still, Duthie couldn’t imagine life without them. He even wrote a children’s book about Spartacus to show how much they mean to him.
While their antics may sometimes make his life a little more challenging, Duthie wouldn’t trade his cats for anything.
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