We recently received this story from one of our Adopters about their experience with senior cats:
I found and adopted my first senior cat by total accident. The shelter that I got her from was not exactly honest about what her age was on her bio online (they said 5, when I saw her papers they said 10+), but I was in love and knew that I had found the one I was looking for anyway. It didn't take long for me to realize that my new companion, renamed Nelly, was 100% deaf and definitely well past her prime.
I was bummed at first, because I realized that meant my time with her would be much shorter than I had anticipated. However, as time went on, I came to realize that adopting a senior was a huge blessing for both her and me. Not only was she calm, cuddly, adorable, and low maintenance, but she was still filled with so much personality which really began to come out within her first few weeks with me. Nelly has since passed away, and when the time came almost a year ago that I felt I was ready to welcome another cat into my home, I narrowed my search down to exclusively seniors (which I plan on doing from now on).
My search eventually lead me to Feral Fixers and my current bundle of joy, Bibi. In my opinion, the best thing about adopting a senior, or even an adult cat, is the constant appreciation you feel from your pet. For example, not much is known about Bibi's past besides she was most likely born as a domesticated kitten, but somehow got lost and ended up living outside for numerous years before being rescued. Her life on the streets obviously made her very shy and leery of people, and it took her a little while to warm up to me. Now, when Bibi jumps up next to me on the couch to have her chin scratched, I know it is not because I am a safe lap she has known her whole life, but it is because I have earned the trust and adoration of an animal who has spent the majority of her life scared and hiding from the world.
I often hear from friends and family that they could never adopt a senior because the shorter time together would lead to too much heartbreak. My response? The happiness I feel from giving a loving home to a tired animal that otherwise would likely spend the rest of its years in a shelter, far outweighs the heartbreak I feel when it becomes their time to peacefully pass on.
Thank you Ashley for the pictures and wonderful story! Feral Fixers currently has one great senior cat, Thumbelina, looking for her forever home. You can see her information here.
Would you consider giving Thumbelina, or one of the many other great senior cats at our partner shelters, the opportunity that Ashley gave Bibi?
(The picture thumbnails are of Bibi and Ashley. Click on either of them to see a full-size picture.)
January 11th update - Thumbelina has been adopted! At the Kriser's Adoption Event, held last Saturday, Thumbelina was "Adopted by a wonderful lady who lost her cat about a year ago. Thumbelina will be this lady's only feline friend, which Thumbelina will be quite happy about. It seems like Ashley's tribute to senior cats on our web site worked!" This is wonderful news and I'm sure that both Thumbelina and her Adopter will be very happy!