A doctor writes a prescription.Photo: smolaw11 / Getty Images

A Virginia woman is thanking her doctor for helping her find some joy after prescribing her anew cat.
Pulmonary physician Dr. Earl King at Sentara RMH Medical Center advised patient Robin Sipe to get a new cat after he noticed that she appeared “very sad” during a recent visit with him.
“Dr. King has saved my life at least three times,” Sipe, who resides in Grottoes, Virginia, told local NBC affiliateWHSV. “I was very, very sad. Dr. King asked me why I was so sad because he was concerned about my overall well-being.”
“I told him I had lost my beloved pet, a cat, and I was very sad about her loss,” Sipe explained.
“I’d recommended that she proceed to get a new cat and I actually wrote her a prescription to get a cat,” Dr. King toldWHSV. He explained that cats and dogs are “important for patients for comfort, for touch, for wellbeing of their cardiovascular health, lung health.”
There are health benefits to owning a cat or dog.Getty Images

Getty Images
Sipe named the kitten ‘Earline’ in honor of Dr. King. “He was compassionate, he was caring, he went the extra mile for me,” she continued. “And I hope that everyone can have a doctor in their life just like Dr. King.”
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According toWHSV, Earlene lost “most of one of her front paws” in an injury shortly after she was born.
“I live here alone and she’s a lot of company to me, she likes to play I like to play,” Sipe spoke about her close bond with the kitten to the station. “We do great, we love each other, we respect each other.”
source: people.com