Maritess De Ocampo

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Rosie Unson with Sylvio

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788177137145Rosie and Sylvio Thumbnail.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:957.995px;height:auto" width="957.995"/>The Cat Lady and darling SylvioI didn&#x27;t always love cats.</div>As far back as I can remember, there was always a cat in our house. The first was Figaro, a fat, tri-colored cat who belonged to my eldest sister. I barely noticed her. She occupied a corner of our home much like a piece of furniture.Then came Pyewacket, a black-and-white menace who seemed to reserve all her affection for everyone except me. She climbed on me with her claws out, scratched my legs as though they were a scratching post, and somehow managed to steal food from my plate and no one else&#x27;s. Thanks to Pyewacket, I grew up convinced that cats were not for me.Life, however, had other plans.When I was 18, I became seriously ill. After years of tests and uncertainty, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. While my friends were preparing for college and the adventures that came with it, I was in and out of hospitals learning how to manage injections, monitor my blood sugar, and adjust to a future that suddenly felt very different from the one I had imagined.I went home feeling defeated.<div>Boo Boo, My Nurse Cat</div>At the time, we had a cat named Boo Boo. He was white with clear blue eyes and, until then, had simply been another cat in the house. Yet for reasons I will never understand, Boo Boo decided I was his responsibility.Every morning, he appeared when it was time for my insulin injection. When I took afternoon naps, he settled beside me. When I cried or felt overwhelmed, he climbed onto my lap and purred. He became a constant source of comfort during a period when everything else felt uncertain.Boo Boo was my nurse cat.More importantly, he was the cat who changed my mind about cats. He showed me that beneath their independent reputation lies an extraordinary capacity for companionship. When I eventually left him behind with my mother, I left a piece of my heart with him too.<div>Sylvio, My Son</div>Then there was Sylvio.I adopted him from a couple whose Siamese cat had made life miserable for him. Back then, his name was Sylvester. A few years later, I decided he looked more like a Sylvio, and the name stuck.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788177194983Sylvio poster boy.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Sylvio, the poster boy</div>At first, he spent most of his time hiding under the sofa. But slowly, he came out of hiding and made himself at home. Before I knew it, he had made himself at home in my heart as well.Sylvio was with me for 20 years.As he grew older, the staff at the veterinary clinic affectionately called him Lolo Silver. His once-dark gray coat faded into a beautiful silver, and every day I spent with him felt like a gift. He had become woven into the fabric of my life so completely that I couldn&#x27;t remember what life looked like before him.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788177258163Over the years Syvlio got smaller and frailer but he was always there to greet me when I got home from a tiring day at work.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:957.995px;display:block;height:auto" width="957.995"/>Over the years Sylvio got smaller and frailer but he was always there to greet me when I got home from a tiring day at work</div>When he was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease, I did everything I could to keep him comfortable. But there are some battles that love alone cannot win.On his final day, I wrapped him in a towel and held him in my arms. When I put him down briefly so I could take a shower, he quietly slipped away.People may find it strange, but Sylvio was my son.I have two daughters whom I love beyond measure, but Sylvio occupied a place in my heart all his own. I never dressed him in costumes or pushed him around in a stroller. I simply loved him completely. He wasn&#x27;t just a pet. He was family.Even now, I miss him every single day.<div>Luca Brasi and Fredo, My Adopted Cats</div>Today, we have two adopted cats, Luca Brasi and Fredo. There was a time when our household numbered 16 cats, much to the dismay of our neighbors. These days, two feels just right. I have no plans to add to the family, no matter how many adorable cats are offered to me.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788178040825We adopted Luca Brasi the Cat in 2016 and I since he_s so huge, I feel the name is fitting.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>We adopted Luca Brasi the Cat in 2016 and I since he&#x27;s so huge, I feel the name is fitting</div>Over the years, cats have become far more than animals that share my home. They have been companions, comforters, comic relief, and in most cases, family. Boo Boo sat beside me during one of the most difficult periods of my life. Sylvio taught me patience, responsibility, and the particular heartbreak that comes from loving an animal who trusts you completely.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788177472842Fredo is our newest adoptee. Since we already have Luca, we figured Fredo would be a good name.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:957.995px;height:auto" width="957.995"/>Fredo is our newest adoptee. Since we already have Luca, we figured Fredo would be a good name.</div>People often use the term cat lady as an insult. It tends to conjure images of someone eccentric, lonely, and surrounded by an alarming number of cats. But that&#x27;s never been what the label means to me.To me, being a cat lady means having room in your heart for creatures who don&#x27;t hand over their affection easily. Cats make you earn their trust. They choose their people carefully. When a cat curls up beside you after a difficult day or follows you from room to room simply because it wants to be near you, it feels less like ownership and more like friendship.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788178146528This was our tripod cat, Oscar who crossed the rainbow bridge this year.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>This was our tripod cat, Oscar who crossed the rainbow bridge this year</div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/people-culture-events/2026/8/25/bianca-salonga-raising-belgian-shepherds-parenthood-2040" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RELATED STORY: Bianca Salonga: What raising a pack of Belgian Shepherds taught her</a></div>I collect cat-themed things. Many of my belongings have cats on them. I tend to get along best with fellow cat lovers. And yes, I will probably stop to greet a cat before I greet most humans.I&#x27;ve made peace with that.So if being a certified cat lady means loving deeply, grieving deeply, and never regretting either, then I&#x27;ll wear the title proudly.After all, I didn&#x27;t choose the cat lady life.A succession of remarkable cats chose me.

A moving personal essay about the cats who provided comfort during illness, became cherished members of the family, and left behind a love that continues long after goodbye.

A moving personal essay about the cats who provided comfort during illness, became cherished members of the family, and left behind a love that continues long after goodbye.

Rossana Unson: Confessions of a certified cat lady—on cats, companionship, and a label she's more than happy to own

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Rossana Unson: Confessions of a certified cat lady—on cats, companionship, and a label she's more than happy to own

Rossana L. Unson

Published August 31, 2026 08:13 PM PHT

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Updated August 31, 2026 09:04 PM PHT

Read More:

Pets Are Family

Cats Are Family

Pet Love

Family Parenting Relationships

Certified Cat Lady

Rossana L Unson

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