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Mama cat rushed her kitten with an eye infection into a hospital and 'asked for help'

That's some serious maternal instinct.

Gulf Today/Facebook

A family of kittens in western Turkey has won people's hearts with an emergency visit to a hospital. Not an animal hospital—a human hospital. And it wasn't a pet owner who brought them in, but the mama cat herself. According to Gulf Today, staff had previously left food and water for the stray orange tabby outside the Izmer, Turkey hospital, but that morning she kept meowing outside.

Finally, she fetched one of her kittens and carried it right into the hospital, clearly on a mission. She wasn't scared or shy as hospital personnel cleared the path for her. With her baby in her mouth, she trotted through the hallways, seemingly looking for someone to help. Medical personnel examined the kitten along with its siblings and consulted with a veterinary clinic.

As it turned out, the kittens had an eye infection. Mama kitty's maternal instincts are really something else. Just look at this sweetness caught on video:

According to the Daily Mail, one of the hospital workers told local media: "We were giving food and water to the mother cat living on the street with other people living in this area. However, we did not know that she gave birth to kittens.

"As we began to receive patients in the morning, she showed up with her kittens. She asked for help, meowing for a long time. We were shocked.

"Upon careful examination, we saw that the kittens were not able to open their eyes due to infection.

"We consulted with veterinarians and gave medicine as described. When the kittens opened their eyes a short time later, we were thrilled.

"Later, we sent the mother cat and kittens to Uzundere for further care. This is the first time something like this has happened to us. We were emotional and delighted to see that they recovered well."

This isn't the first time that a mama cat has made news for bringing her kittens into a hospital in Turkey, however. Last spring, a different cat brought her kitten into an emergency room at a hospital in Istanbul. Merve Özcan described the scene in Twitter posts that went viral at the time.

"Today we were in the hospital emergency, a cat rushed to the emergency with her baby she was carrying in her mouth," Özcan wrote. "Her baby is a little mischievous, her mother grabs it where she finds it."

Medics looked over the kitten for obvious signs of illness, while mama cat was given milk and food. Then they were sent to a vet.

"The Turks have long been known for their love and care for stray animals," Bored Panda reported, "with many leaving out food and water for them on the streets."

No wonder these cats felt so comfortable bringing their kittens into human hospitals for help.

While we can't know for certain what prompted these mama kitties to bring their babies to these medical professionals, it's clear that their maternal instinct to protect and keep their kittens healthy is strong. And the fact that they seem to trust the hospital personnel to take care of their babies says a lot about how humans have treated them. Good for these Turkish medical workers for setting an inspiring example of kindness to animals.


This article originally appeared four years ago.

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What parents are teaching kids when we allow them to take a 'mental health day'

With zero hesitation—just a simple, "OK"—he turned the car around and took me home, and it's a lesson I've never forgotten.

Photo by Darwin Vegher on Unsplash

With one turn of the wheel, my dad taught me a lesson about self-care in high school that I'll never forget.

When I was in high school, I woke up one morning feeling overwhelmed. I was an honors student, I was involved in various activities and clubs, and for whatever reason, I felt thoroughly unprepared for the day. I don't recall if I had a test or a presentation or if it was just a normal school day that I couldn't face—I just remember feeling like I'd hit a wall and couldn't make my mental gears turn right.

I usually walked the mile and a half to school, but I was running late so my dad offered to drive me. In the car, I tried to keep it together, but halfway to school, the tears started to fall. My dad looked over and asked if I was OK.

"I don't know," I sobbed. "I feel like … I just … I need a day."

He knew I wasn't sick. He could have told me to tough it out. He could have given me a pep talk. He could have forced me to go. But he didn't do any of those things.

With zero hesitation—and just a simple "OK"—he turned the car around and took me home.

I have no memory of what I did the rest of that day. Three decades later, the only thing that sticks out is the basic-but-profound lesson my dad instilled in me the moment he turned that steering wheel: It's totally OK to take care of yourself.

We talked about it briefly on the way home. As it turned out, he was also taking a "mental health day." My dad was a social worker, and as an adult, I can totally understand why he would need to take a random day off sometimes. But it didn't really matter what he did for a living. Most of us need an occasional mental health day—adults, teens and kids alike.

man and woman lying on grassPhoto by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

Some schools have begun incorporating this understanding into their school attendance policies. Utah passed a bill in 2018 that allows a mental health day to count as an excused absence from school. Oregon enacted a similar law in 2019 and Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Nevada and Virginia have followed suit.

“Mental health days are not only good for the practical aspect of giving young people a break," psychologist Caroline Clauss-Ehlers, Ph.D., told Healthline, "but they also validate that the community and society are saying, ‘We understand and we’re supporting you in this way.”

Occupational therapist Shelli Dry concurs, telling Healthline that acceptance of mental health days can help eliminate the stigma that often comes with mental illness.

“For schools to recognize that sometimes it’s better to take a mental health day than push through when you cannot seem to cope, is a tremendous support for students to feel understood and accepted, and [this, in turn, encourages] students to understand and accept themselves more,” she said.

closed eye boy laying on brown maple leavesPhoto by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Sometimes we forget how hard it is being a kid. In some ways, I think it's way harder than being an adult. Considering the fact that 1 in 6 kids between the ages of 6 and 17 experience a mental health disorder each year, we need to acknowledge that a lot of kids have days where they're struggling. But even kids who don't deal with mental illness sometimes need a down day. Modern life is busy and complex, no matter our age. Managing it all daily—and then also handling whatever extra stuff life throws at us—is a lot.

Part of good parenting is teaching kids to persevere through challenges, but encouraging perseverance has to be balanced with insight and wisdom. Sometimes kids might cry wolf, but it's important for parents to understand that kids might be dealing with more than we know. Sometimes kids need to be encouraged to dig deep for resilience. Sometimes kids have already been resilient for a long time and need a little time and space to just be.

My dad knew me. He understood that I wasn't just being lazy or trying to get out of doing something hard. He trusted me to know what I needed, which in turn taught me to listen to my inner alarm and trust myself. As a result, I've spent my adult life with a good sense of when I need to push through and when I need to pause and reset—a gift I'm immensely grateful for.

three children sitting on grassPhoto by Charlein Gracia on Unsplash

All of that said, this advice does come with a caveat. As a parent of kids who are learning to manage anxiety, mental health days can be a mixed bag. There's a difference between taking a mental health day because you really need it—which happens—and taking a mental health day to avoid facing fears—which also happens. Avoidance feels good in the moment but fuels anxiety in the long run, so parents and kids have to be aware of how the idea can be misused and unintentionally make certain mental health issues worse.

The bottom line, however, is that kids need breaks sometimes. And when you allow them to take an occasional day here and there to breathe, to do some self-care, to reconnect with themselves and reset their mental and emotional barometer, you teach them that their well-being matters. You teach them that it's OK to acknowledge when they've hit a limit and pause to recoup their strength.

It's OK to turn the car around when you know you need to. That's a lesson we all need to learn, and one we need to support with work and school policies in addition to internalizing individually. We're making some good strides toward that goal, and the sooner we all get on the same page, the better everyone's well-being will be.


This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Health

Doctor's 4-7-8 relaxation technique can help you fall asleep in an instant

It's the "most powerful relaxation method" he knows.

via Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

The 4-7-8 technique can help you fall asleep.

Are you having a hard time falling asleep? Dr. Andrew Weil has shared the “most powerful” relaxation technique he knows, and it doesn’t require any equipment or cost a dime. It’s known as the 4-7-8 method and it’s backed up by science.

Dr. Weil is an expert in integrative medicine and the founder and director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona.

The technique is simple:

  1. Breathe in through your nose while you count to 4.
  2. Hold your breath while you count to 7.
  3. Exhale while you count to 8.

Dr. Weil says the method creates a "very pleasant, altered state of consciousness" that you may not experience the first time but will come as a "reward" of regular practice. Dr. Weil insists that the 4-7-8 technique is a practice, and you must do four breath cycles at least twice a day to get the benefits. "After a month, you can increase to 8 breath cycles if you're comfortable with it," adding that's the "absolute maximum."

Dr. Weil says that 4 to 6 weeks of doing the practice can lower heart rate, improve blood pressure, digestion and circulation and can promote sleep. A study published in Physiological Reports agrees, saying that practicing the 4-7-8 technique reduces heart rate and blood pressure for several minutes.

It’s also an easy way to help you fall asleep. "If you get up in the middle of the night for any reason, it is the most effective anti-anxiety technique that I've found,” Dr. Weil says.


This article originally appeared last year.

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Health

Egg prices are at record highs. Here are some egg substitutes that actually work.

Time to tap our vegan friends for some tips to save our grocery bills.

Photo credit: Canva

Eggs have become cost prohibitive.

It's been a rough year for egg lovers and bakers alike, as the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025 have not been kind to our pocketbooks. The price of eggs has always fluctuated, but rarely this much. Thanks in part to the highly infectious H5N1 bird flu wiping out entire flocks of hens, the average retail cost of a dozen eggs was $5.29 in mid-January 2025 compared to $3.50 in February of 2024, according to data from the NIQ consumer research group. Skyrocketing egg prices have even caused Waffle House, a breakfast staple across the American South, to raise their prices by 50 cents per egg.

With no end to rising egg prices in sight, people are looking for alternatives to the kitchen staple, and who better to tap than our vegan and plant-based friends who have mastered the art of egg-free cooking? While it's hard to replace an over-easy or poached egg experience if that's your thing, there are ways to swap out eggs in baking without sacrificing taste or texture, and there are even ways to recreate scrambled eggs with just a few key ingredients.

Upworthy asked nutritionist and plant-based food blogger Rae Aflatooni from Raepublic to share some cost-wise tips for substituting eggs in cooking in baking.

Egg-free substitute for scrambled eggs

Let's start with the toughest thing to substitute—just straight-up cooked eggs. Rae explains how a tofu scramble recipe mimics the look and taste of eggs, as long as you have the right spices.

"Turmeric gives these plant-based scrambles their color," she says. "It's really for aesthetics, so you can 100% skip this ingredient to save money." And the key to getting a real egg-like flavor? Black salt (kala namik), as it contains sulfur compounds.

"If you are making the switch from chicken eggs to an alternative option for the long term, and you like the taste of traditional eggs, then investing in black salt makes sense," Rae says. "This will get you as close in taste as possible."

If you can't stand tofu or don't eat soy, Rae recommends a chickpea scramble as well.

But what about alternatives to eggs in baked goods? Here's what works best for cooking and baking.

Alternatives to eggs in cooked and baked goods

Eggs act as a binder, adding moisture and structure to baked goods. Rae shared with us her favorite egg substitutes for cooking and baking, as well as a cost breakdown per "egg," based on current prices at Safeway. The average single egg costs $0.44 as of mid-January, and likely much more if you're buying cage-free or organic eggs, so compare accordingly.

Flax Egg

(Best in brownies, cookies, pancakes, pies, and muffins.)

One egg = 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (aka ground flaxseed) and 3 Tbsp water. Whisk together, then let sit for 3-5 minutes.

Cost: Around $0.14 cents

Chia Egg

(Best in muffins, brownies, and quick breads.)

One egg = 1 Tbsp chia seeds and 3 Tbsp water. Mix and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Cost: Around $0.28

Other egg substitutes for muffins, quick breads, and pancakes

Substitute any of the following in muffins, quick breads and pancakes:

One egg = 1/4 cup of mashed banana, which is about 1/2 a banana (Cost: $0.12 cents)

One egg = 1/4 cup applesauce (Cost: $0.33 cents)

Egg substitute for cakes

This one works well in cakes, but can also be used in muffins, quick breads, and pancakes.

One egg = 3 Tbsp aquafaba (the liquid from a can of garbanzo beans, aka chickpeas)

(Cost varies on this one, but considering most people just drain and toss the aquafaba from a can of beans anyway, this could be seen as basically costing nothing.)

For cheesecakes, pies and custards

One egg = 1/4 cup of silken tofu

Cost: Around $.75

(This is the only baking substitute that tends to be more expensive than eggs at current prices.)

Rae also shared some egg substitutes for pumpkin pie, which includes various starches and cashew cream in addition to the alternatives above.

What about ready-made egg substitutes?

For a quick and easy store-bought egg substitute, Rae recommends Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer. "When it comes to a premade, ready-to-use egg replacement, this is the most cost-effective option," she says. "When it comes to other premade options, they're going to be more expensive than just buying traditional eggs. This one 12 oz bag of egg replacer equates to roughly 24 eggs for $6.49, which is about $.27 per egg."

Hopefully egg prices will start to come down sometime this year, but unless or until they do, it might be financially wise to replace eggs at least in some baked goods if nothing else. Vegan recipes have come a long way over the years, and maybe now is a prime opportunity to experiment with some plant-based cooking and baking.

Find plant-based recipes and more at raepublic.com and follow Rae on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube.

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