72-Year-Old Woman From Massachusetts Devoted Her Life To Helping Disabled Cats
People who dedicate their lives to helping animals often do it quietly, without fanfare or recognition. Yet their compassion changes lives in the most extraordinary ways.
One such person is Suellen Duga, a 72-year-old woman whose home has become a sanctuary for cats that many others might have overlooked.
At this very moment, Suellen shares her home with 12 disabled rescue cats, each facing unique challenges but thriving under her care.
Among them are Julie, who has cerebellar hypoplasia and walks with an unsteady wobble; Buddy, who is completely blind; and Roo, a rare male calico who cannot walk on his front legs.
Cory, another of her beloved rescues, lives with a dislocated hip. Two of her cats struggle with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), while several others need regular medication or specialist treatments.
Despite their medical needs, all 12 are living happy, secure lives, something that once seemed impossible before Suellen stepped in.
But Suellen’s journey as a cat rescuer didn’t begin overnight. It’s one that stretches back more than fifty years, born out of empathy and a deep sense of duty.
How It All Began
Suellen has loved cats her entire life. Her path as a rescuer began in the 1970s, when she stumbled across a litter of newborn kittens hidden in the bushes outside her apartment building.
Their mother was nowhere to be found, and the tiny babies were too young to survive on their own.
She took the kittens home and became their surrogate mother. They needed feeding every few hours, so she improvised, using a clean nasal spray bottle as a baby bottle.
Her dedication was so strong that she even smuggled the kittens into her city office job so she could feed them during her breaks.
“I wasn’t fooling anyone actually, everybody knew they were there but no one turned me into management.”
Thanks to her care and determination, the kittens survived, and Suellen couldn’t part with them. They became her first rescues and, in many ways, her first family.
A Lifetime Of Helping Cats
After running a natural food store with her husband for two decades, Suellen felt called to do something more. In 2007, she began volunteering with the Westfield Homeless Cat Project.
The work was physically demanding, long hours cleaning cages, feeding cats, and administering medication.
“There were cages piled on top of each other from the concrete floor up. For an old woman to be on her hands and knees on a cold concrete floor was admittedly not the best way to do things, but I felt strongly about helping the cats.”
Her hard work didn’t go unnoticed. Before long, she was promoted to Adoption Coordinator, helping hundreds of cats find loving homes.
When asked why she gave so much of herself, Suellen simply said:
“I knew the community had supported my store for over 20 years, and I felt the need to give back. Sounds corny, but that is the way I run my life.”
A Home For The Unwanted
Over time, Suellen began to notice a heartbreaking pattern, disabled cats often went unadopted. Many were returned shortly after adoption because their new families couldn’t handle the extra care they required.
“I just could not stand to see that happen over and over.”
So she made a bold decision: she would open her home to disabled cats permanently.
Many of her current twelve residents are what she affectionately calls “foster fails” – cats she intended to foster temporarily but fell too deeply in love with to let go.
To accommodate their special needs, Suellen has adapted her home with ramps, soft bedding, and litter boxes designed for cats with mobility issues. Even in her seventies, she refuses to slow down.
She still works night shifts to help pay for veterinary care and medication. And she’s even made plans for the future. Suellen has arranged a $5,000 life insurance policy to ensure her cats will continue receiving care if she passes away first.
“I almost hope I do because their losses are so devastating to me – the worst thing ever. I love them all so much.”
Suellen’s story is a testament to compassion without limits. She doesn’t see her cats as burdens, but as family, each one a soul deserving of love, patience, and dignity.
Her lifelong devotion is an inspiration to animal lovers everywhere, reminding us that kindness, no matter how small, can transform the lives of those who need it most.
