Mom in Hospital Was Missing Beloved Cat—Her Twins Knew Exactly What to Do
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Hoping to lift their mother's spirits while in the hospital, her twins concocted a plan to secretly bring the family cat, which left viewers split on the decision.
Shanae and Renae Nel told Newsweek their mother started having seizures over the last few months, ultimately leading her to a hospital stay starting on July 27. During their visits, the twins, who are known on Instagram as @theneltwins, heard how she missed the family cat, Luna.
That's when the sisters, along with their little brother, began strategizing about bringing Luna with them for a visit, as they were unsure how long their mom would be in the hospital. They said the idea started as a joke, but hearing how much their mother missed Luna, they knew they needed to pull off a surprise.
The twins shared in an August 6 Instagram video how they successfully snuck Luna in. They placed her in a bag, with a coat thrown on top. They thought the worst that could happen would be if a staff member asked them to leave.
Screenshots from an August 6 Instagram video of a family sneaking their cat into the hospital to visit their mother.
Screenshots from an August 6 Instagram video of a family sneaking their cat into the hospital to visit their mother.
@theneltwins/Instagram
The twins laughed as they recalled that the walk to the elevator felt extremely long. They tried to remain "undercover" and prayed Luna would not meow. While they thought they seemed suspicious, they said it appeared everyone else minded their business.
"I was so shocked; she was so chill," one of the twins said of the cat. "She didn't make a sound."
When they reached their mother's room, they told her they needed to close the curtains, hoping to avoid a big scene. However, their mother started panicking, thinking something had happened, but as soon as they pulled Luna out of the bag, she "lit up."
Unable to control her excitement, the twins kept telling her to be quiet as she spoke with Luna. Their mother fed the cat some yogurt and let Luna lick her hand. Another patient, whose mother had befriended, also came over to say hello.
Luna stayed at the hospital for about 10 minutes, the twins said. And the risk? Beyond worth it for them.
They said Luna was "well behaved" and she never meowed. Their mother told them it was the best present.
And now, finally home, Luna and their mother are catching up on their missed time together.
Viewers Split on Surprise
The act of love instantly touched people's hearts, bringing in over 183,000 views on Instagram as of Monday.
"Can't convince me this doesn't help the healing process," wrote one viewer.
"As a nurse. I saw nothing. In fact, I'm blind in my right and left eyes," another commenter said.
However, many felt the cat's visit was unwarranted: "I get it. But no. The cat gotta be stressed out as well. I hope she can come home soon to see the cat properly."
When asked about the negative feedback from the video, the twins said they're used to getting backlash as they've been posting on social media for years. They didn't care about the response; their mother came first.
"We just wanted to see Mom happy again," they said.
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.
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