Seniors kitties are often one of the least adopted population. We get it. Our pets lives are going to be shorter than ours even if we get them at only a few months old. We want as much time as we can get with our beloved companions. It takes a selfless and empathetic person to choose to adopt a senior pet instead.
But, this circumstance certainly isn’t their choice. Most of the time, the senior kitties who enter our rescue come to us because their original owner has passed away or entered a retirement facility that doesn’t allow pets. They are already sad and confused having the only life they have known turned upside down. Now they find themselves surrounded by other cats and people they don’t know.
The saddest part of this is that, as a result of being harder to find new homes for, senior kitties are one of the most often euthanized in kill shelters.
The Cat Tales “Seniors for Seniors” program was designed to help encourage more adopters to choose a senior pet and is a win-win for the cats and the adopters. The program pairs senior humans (65+ years old) with senior kitties (7+ years old). Cat Tales waives the adoption fee and schedules and covers the cost for the kitty’s annual veterinary wellness check appointments. In some cases, Cat Tales will also provide the kitty’s transportation to and from the vet appointment.
The reality is that a typical cat can live up to 15-20 years. That means a kitten or a young cat isn’t the most practical choice for most older seniors who may not be in the position to care for that kitty for his entire life and may put themselves at risk of being tripped by a hyper kitten running around under foot. Adopting a senior kitty just makes perfect sense for a senior human. With the added benefits of the Seniors for Seniors program, it’s a no-brainer.
We’ve had several great happy endings for senior kitties through the Seniors for Seniors program. Here’s just two of our success stories.
Boots’ Tale
One recent application came in from a woman in her 80s who lives by herself in an active adult community. Due to the pandemic, she could no longer participate in the many activities the community offers or get together with her friends. She was very lonely and her daughter suggested she look into adopting a cat. She heard of Cat Tales from other community residents so she filled out an application. She’d had cats throughout her life so was an experienced cat parent and wanted an older, docile, lap cat to keep her company.
One of the Cat Tales fosters had fostered Boots when she was a kitten. Boots was adopted at the time by the mother of her foster’s coworker. Fast forward 10 years and Boots’ human had become ill and could no longer care for her. The foster took Boots back into their home where she lived for almost a year. Boots was just the right fit for this woman and after an initial meet and greet, the adoption was arranged. Boots settled right into her new life, sits on her new human’s lap whenever she sits down and sleeps on her bed at night. It’s a wonderful, happy ending for both human and kitty alike.
Kylie’s Tale
Kylie was rescued from a hoarder in Warminster that died, leaving behind more than 30 cats in the home. Kylie was adopted in Nov 2019 through the Seniors for Seniors program. The nice woman who adopted Kylie lives alone in a senior community and Kylie has been her savior, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kylie does not let her out of her site. No matter which room she is in, Kylie is always by her side. Their love for each other is immeasurable and very apparent when you see them together. In this case, we even transport Kylie to and from her vet exam for the adopter.
Seniors for Seniors is a great program that benefits everyone involved and provides a happy ending to the tales of cats like Boots and Kylie. Contact us at info@cattalesinc.org for more information.
