101-Year-Old Woman Adopts Shelter's Oldest Cat To Heal Her Broken Heart
By J. Swanson
When a 101-year-old woman’s cat passed away, the pet’s elderly owner, Penny, was understandably devasted.
Penny’s family did everything they could to help their matriarch cope with her loss, including presenting the grieving centenarian with a plush toy cat.
But Penny wasn’t consoled by the stuffed animal, which didn’t purr like her beloved late pet. This led Penny’s family to contact the Humane Society of Catawba County (HSCC) in search of an elderly shelter cat to help heal Penny’s broken heart.
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old cat named Gus was being surrendered to the same North Carolina shelter as his owner’s work commitments changed.
“His owner was heartbroken,” the shelter’s executive director, Jane Bower, told Newsweek. We’re sure the aging cat was equally heartbroken to leave his family, especially at the ripe age of 19!
“We took Gus in and proceeded to do a health check and found that for 19 years young, Gus was in exceptional health,” Bower told the news magazine. “Obviously we would take good care of Gus, but living in a shelter is not ideal, especially at his age.”
In a serendipitous twist, Penny’s family reached out Humane Society of Catawba County in search of an elderly cat right as Gus was seeking a new family.
Shelter workers described Penny and Gus as “a match made in heaven,” according to Newsweek. Not only does the elderly woman enjoy having another cat to love, Gus is reportedly eating well and helpfully supervising squirrels through the window of his new home.
“Our [hearts] are full with this beautiful adoption,” shelter workers wrote on Facebook, where they celebrated Gus’s perfect new home.
“Our 19-year-old (133 in human years) great-grandPAW, has found the loving arms of his new mamma who is the ripe young age of 101,” they posted. “Congratulations Gus-Gus. Wishing you the best days ahead watching squirrels and sharing your love and purrs.”
https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/elderly-woman-adopts-oldest-shelter-cat
= new reply since forum marked as read
My 18 yr old mama kitty passed at the beginning of this pandemic of a chronic kidney failure and heart congestion. I adopted two from the shelter and two just showed up on my property. I already had 2 left by my old mama kitty. So me and the 6 here (one of the shelter kitties is fading away with a horrible cancer. Her time with me is doomed to be short.). But we send you best wishes and a successful resolution with the cancer. 
Our furry friends are magicians on four legs. Old AND young.
A big hug and thank-you to everyone who adopts, whether the new family member is young OR old.
love them both
