An emaciated elderly cat with an uncertain future was given a lifeline when her path crossed with that of a cat-loving volunteer with a passion for mature moggies.
Pauline Brook, 73, has volunteered for Cats Protection’s Isle of Wight Adoption Centre for over 25 years and has taken in 6 cats from the charity since adopting her first in 1982.
In recent years she had avoided adopting any others because her youngest cat Merlin, 11 years old, would not tolerate feline family members other than Pauline’s existing 2 cats Marti, age 20, and Minky, age 17.
When Merlin died unexpectedly, Pauline considered that adopting another cat might be possible but it wasn’t until 18-year-old tabby Molly arrived at the centre in August 2019 that she found her match.
Pauline says:
“Molly really helped my husband and I heal from the pain of losing Merlin. Her previous owner had become very ill and unable to look after her. She was very thin when she arrived and the vet suspected she had been unintentionally starved for some time due to her mouth being in a bad state. We were warned that any owner who took her on would need to know that she might not have much time left, but that was almost three years ago!”
Pauline initially waited to see whether anybody else would adopt Molly but, like many mature moggies, she was repeatedly overlooked. Cats Protection has found that over the past 5 years cats who were over 11-years-old took 3x longer to home than kittens. It has created Mature Moggies Day (16th June) to celebrate and highlight the benefits of adopting older cats. Luckily for Molly, when she had been at the centre for just over a month, Pauline knew she was the cat for her.
Pauline explains:
“When I held Molly’s bony little body in my arms and was rewarded with purrs, my heart melted. At 18 I felt that she would settle in well with our 17 and 20-year-old cats as their day consisted of eating, drinking and napping, something that they could all do together.
“Taking on an older cat can be so rewarding, they love their home comforts and Molly just revelled in being able to curl up on the bed in the sunshine or cuddle up on our laps. She hardly stops purring and as soon as she sees us she chats away, it is as though she is telling us how grateful she is to be part of the household. She has blossomed in the time we have had her, she gained substantial weight and definitely felt less bony each day within a short time of being adopted.
“Of course, we don’t know how long we will have Molly for as she is now 21 years old but I have come to realise that life is not predictable anyway. We will give her the best things in life for however long she is with us and when the time comes, we will do the kindest thing we can for her, however hard that may be.
“I would urge anyone to think about adopting older cats as it is a very rewarding experience and makes such a difference to these beautiful senior kitizens. Molly still loves to play and sunbathe in our garden and we are hoping she will continue to do so for many more years to come as we love her to bits.”
To find out more about the charity’s Isle of Wight Adoption Centre and mature moggies like Molly who are available for adoption visit www.cats.org.uk/isleofwight or call 03000 120 251.
Fully support you guys at cats protection, as I know from experience, older cats have amassed a great wisdom and make wonderful intelligent company. When the time comes I will be getting another from yourselves.
Keep up the good work.
Old school, as you say older pussies have more experienced but there is nothing like the joy of a lively fun loving younger puss.
Depends if you can keep up with the antics of the frenetic energy a younger pussy takes out of you which you find the best company.
Love them all without exception, I find them so much better to have around than humans in general. I would say, knowing that older cats get overlooked on an age basis that people really do need to look beyond the age, one comment refers to cost, sure, any well looked after pet will cost more than you dared imagine in the first instance, but there are insurance companies that dont walk away at 9 or 10 years of age, petplan is one them, and a worthwhile investment! Our oldest cat was 23, food for thought to those wondering how long they might have with a 10 or 12 year old puss.
Older cats are certainly calmer, less likely to attack the furniture and stay in more.
I’ve have plenty of cats, all of them rescues. Some, like our current mog, have been extremely affectionate, while others have been standoffish. Nothing to do with age, just the nature of the individual cat.
The point they miss is that older cats frequently need a lot of veterinary care, and that can prove expensive. Will CP cover ongoing vet bills for common ailments of elderly cats (kidney and thyroid problems are common) which can cost £100’s a month.