Each day, countless pets end up in shelters as their elderly owners can no longer care for them. It’s a heartbreaking fate for both those seniors and their beloved furry friends.
Angela Rafuse faced this challenge when her grandpa passed away. The compassionate man delayed moving to a retirement home for a heartwarming reason – taking care of Mackenzie, his late wife’s cherished cat.
In his final moments, he found solace in knowing that his granddaughter would take the cat in and provide her with the same devotion and care. In an interview for The Wildest, Angela shared:
“The goal was just to make sure my grandfather died knowing that Mackenzie was going to be with me and she would be okay. He did know that before he passed away, and I’m very, very glad he did.”
A calico of fourteen years, Mackie was known for her mean and not-so-friendly personality. That was the reason why other family members resisted adopting her. Angela explained:
“I had never pet her in 14 years. She would scratch or hiss. I remember my mom calling me and saying, ‘I petted Mack.’ And I was like, ‘No, you didn’t. You must have put the brush against her and she rubbed it.’”
However, behind the cat’s grumpy appearance, there was a softer side. As time passed, Angela discovered that Mackie had a loving heart with just a hint of attitude to keep things lively, sharing:
“She does have her spicy moments. But she’s a very, very loving girl now.”
With Angela’s patience and devotion, Mackie blossomed into a sweet furry companion. She turned out to be quite an adventurer too, enjoying their beach time and even joining Angela in kayaking.
Angela began sharing Mackie’s videos on TikTok and quickly gained a massive following. She received tons of messages from people concerned for their grandparents’ pets once they could no longer care for them, saying:
“People started sharing their stories about how their grandparents’ cats ended up in a shelter when they passed away… Or how their grandparents are worried about their cats, or trying to write them into their will to make sure they can find a home.”
The compassionate woman didn’t want anyone else to go through what her grandpa did, so she decided to do something about it. She came up with the idea to create a place where seniors could secure new homes for their furry friends.
In no time, her idea turned into reality and Angela founded a nonprofit for matching the pets of terminally ill and elderly people with adopters. She named it My Grandfather’s Cat and launched it on her grandpa’s birthday, sharing:
“I was like, that is the day. That is the day that has become such a sad day and we will make it a joyous day. So I launched it.”
The news about Angela’s organization spread across social media, gaining huge attention and support. Just three days later, the first adoption case occurred and the rest was history.
My Grandfather’s Cat has recently celebrated its 100th adoption, and Angela shared on CKBW:
“If you told me back then that we’d already be celebrating rehoming 100 I wouldn’t believe you. I just want to continue to grow, so we can help more seniors and their animals that are facing situations like this.”
Meanwhile, another cat got separated from his senior owner, and the poor thing just couldn’t bond with any of the potential parents. Well, except for one – Angela. That’s how she welcomed another fourteen-year-old barn cat into her home.
As for Mackie, she charmed Angela’s parents too, and now they all share custody of her, making sure she’s loved and cared for as much as possible.
Inspired by Mackie, Angela has truly made a huge difference in the lives of seniors and their furry companions. Also, people have become more willing to adopt older cats and even grumpy calicos. Angela shares:
“We’re creating so much awareness. So many people tell us that they’re adopting senior cats because of Mackenzie, and they’re like, ‘I’ve overlooked senior cats but now I want to adopt a senior cat’ or ‘I want to adopt a Calico because they’re spicy.’”
With each pet departing its owner and finding new parents, Angela has brought comfort to all three sides. In the case of senior cats, she has proved that life has value at any age, sharing:
“And that’s turned into love for seniors and their cats, and creating awareness for the importance of the relationships between seniors and their cats, and the value a senior cat can bring to your life.”
Angela has indeed honored her grandpa in the best way possible!
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