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MONTAGNANA, Italy — An Italian cat's devotion to its owner seems to have transcended even death. Toldo, a 3-year-old tomcat, still visits the owner's grave with affectionate little cat gifts — every day for more than a year.
Owner Renzo Iozzelli and Toldo were very close, according to the widow, Ada. He adopted the cat from a cat colony when he was only 3 months old.
"My husband was very affectionate with him," Ada told the Italian website Corriere Fiorentino, as quoted by the Huffington Post "Renzo loved animals. It's almost as if Toldo would be grateful. He is a special cat, one cannot help liking him, " Ada said.
Iozzelli died in September of 2011 at the age of 71. The day of the funeral, Toldo followed the procession to the cemetery. The next morning, Ada said she found a little piece of acacia on the grave. The next night, Iozzelli's son found Toldo standing guard at the grave.
Since that time, he's brought gifts to the grave each day. "He brings little twigs, leaves, toothpicks, plastic cups. A bit of everything really," Ada told the AFP.
Toldo has met with some resistance. Ada said that some people have thrown rocks at him to get him to leave, considering the presence of a cat a desecration. But nevertheless he returns as often as he can, despite the cold winter weather.
"He's not going out so much these days. He's caught a bit of bronchitis so he's sleeping next to me," she said.
