Gerard Keane and his adoring cat, Mitcho, have been inseparable for as long as he can remember.

The two longtime friends have done almost everything together for the previous 16 years.
However, a sad tragedy a few weeks ago put a pause to the wonderful thing Keane and Mitcho had going.

Keane fell and broke his hip as a result of it. He ended up needing a lengthy hospital stay to have hip replacement surgery. Meanwhile, Mitcho cried himself to sleep at home, grieving his closest friend terribly.

“They were apart for four weeks,” Keane’s daughter Aoife told The Dodo. “He must have been sad since Mitcho normally follows him about the home and sits beside him in the garden.”

That absence seemed to deepen the cat’s affection for Keane. Mitcho has insisted on keeping nearby ever since he was released from the hospital to rehabilitate at home.

Keane is currently healing from hip replacement surgery and requires crutches. He’s been taking regular walks around the neighborhood for exercise to help him restore his strength, slowly but surely.And, due to Mitcho, he’s never been alone.

Though the cat had never been beyond the family’s driveway in his life, the notion of Keane plodding down the street by himself prompted a transformation in Mitcho.

When Keane goes for a stroll, Mitcho always accompanies him – going extra slowly so his closest pal can keep up.

Here’s a video showing the two pals at work:Keane’s kid was moved to tears when she saw that sincere gesture of friendship.“It made me really emotional!” she exclaimed. “It’s incredibly beautiful.”

Mitcho’s feelings for Keane are also having an impact.Keane is gradually on the mend, thanks to his cat’s encouragement on those regular walks and the warmth of his adoration in all moments in between.

“He’s doing very well,” Aoife remarked. “Mitcho has been a wonderful companion and source of comfort for my father. He’s more loving than ever before, and he’s always at his side.”