Frankie’s Story: A Cat, His Family and a Nightly Ritual

To say that Frankie, an 8-year-old tuxedo cat, is a beloved member of the Vartanian family is an understatement. This fur baby is cherished by his family, even more so after Hilary and her husband became empty nesters and then weathered the pandemic together.

Hilary and her son, Alex, had wanted a cat for years, but her husband wasn’t a fan of the idea. Undeterred, they went to Animal Haven in New York City to meet the kittens. Frankie was the last of three brothers left from his litter, and when he climbed into Alex’s lap, it was a done deal: Frankie had found a home and a brother. Since then, Hilary’s husband has fallen hard for Frankie too.

Then Alex left for the University of Colorado Boulder, and 2020 arrived. Living in the heart of New York City, the family went into a full lockdown. Hilary describes it as “a very dark time. A very grim and scary time. But Frankie bolstered us emotionally. He gave us a sense of comfort and hope during those days of uncertainty.”

A frightening night

One night around 4 a.m., Frankie woke Hilary up, stumbling and unwell. In the middle of the pandemic, Hilary and her husband found a taxi and rushed him across town to the only animal hospital open in the city. Their veterinary team diagnosed a vestibular stroke, which can cause falling, a lack of coordination and a head tilt, and explained that with time, attention and nurturing, many cats recover to an almost normal life.

Recovering at home

With both Hilary and her husband home, they could care for Frankie around the clock. They prepared the house like you would for a toddler, laying pillows around the floor in case he lost his balance, carrying him to his food bowl and litter box, and lifting him onto his favorite sofa for a nap every day. Little by little, Frankie started getting his strength and confidence back.

Discovering Moon Mother

While settling Alex into his freshman year at CU, Hilary discovered our Boulder shop at the time and met our founder, Jessica Bates. They struck up a conversation about life and the big transition of sending a child off to college, and Hilary left with our Cinnamon hemp oil tincture and our CBD Dream Balm, which became part of her evening routine. She also picked up our CBD Muscle Balm for her husband, a lifelong hockey player.

A nightly ritual for Frankie

“I’ve always been focused on holistic health, and CBD quickly became part of my daily routine, but I hadn’t thought about how to incorporate CBD into our pet care.”

Hilary

Hilary reached out to us about our CBD Pet Care Topical Balm, and gently massaging a little of it around Frankie’s ears soon became their nightly ritual.

“Frankie loved it. He would curl up on my lap. It was like a cat massage. We continued to do this every night.”

Hilary

With his veterinarians’ care, and a lot of love and patience at home, Frankie kept getting stronger. Today he walks across the room without stumbling and is back to jumping onto his favorite spots. “He’s almost back to normal!” Hilary says.

Every pet is different. Always follow your veterinarian’s guidance, especially after an illness or injury, and check with your vet before adding anything new to your pet’s routine.