A 'Nearly Dead' Senior Cat Finds A Forever Home In One Of The Most Unexpected Places
Older cats have so much love to give.
Page Light Studios / Shutterstock After a senior cat spent months in a shelter, it appeared unlikely that she would ever get adopted.
That is until one woman who never expected to ever adopt a cat knew from the moment she saw the sweet kitty that she just had to bring her home.
The woman, who is allergic to cats, decided to adopt the senior cat in the shelter when no one else wanted her.
In the summer of 2023, 15-year-old Mimi the cat was found on the streets in Belgium. When she was brought into the Poezenpootjes Animal Shelter, not much information was known about her history.
"Staff at the shelter thought she had an owner before because of her old age and the fact she was not able to take care of herself outside,” Stephanie Baldewijns, Mimi’s new owner told Newsweek.
Mimi, who wasn’t microchipped, was found in grave condition when she was rescued. She was found “almost dead,” with no teeth and suffering from arthritis. However, after a few months at the shelter, Mimi’s health began to improve. The only issue was that she was unable to use a litter box.
Photo: Okssi68 / Canva Pro
Because of this, it became extremely difficult for her to get adopted.
Baldewijns never imagined herself adopting a cat, given that she is allergic to them.
However, one day while scrolling through Facebook, Baldewijns came across Mimi’s photo. At that moment, she claimed that she had a “feeling in her stomach” telling her that she had to adopt the senior cat, despite her allergies.
After a couple of weeks had passed and Mimi was still up for adoption, Baldewijns decided to visit the shelter to meet her in person.
“I was in love the moment she started cuddling me,” she said.
15 minutes later, Mimi was in Baldewijns’ car heading to her forever home.
Shortly after arriving, Mimi wasted no time cuddling up next to her new owner and hasn't left her side since.
It didn’t take long for Mimi to get some of her kitten energy back, happily playing with toys and sitting on Baldewijns’ lap.
Since she does not use a litter box, Baldewijin placed puppy pads around her house as a substitute and said that Mimi hardly has accidents anymore. Her overall health has improved significantly since being adopted.
"She's more active and loves to play," Baldewijns reported. "She eats more, her fur is better and softer. She climbs on the sofa, runs around and sometimes it doesn't look like she's 15 years old."
Since adopting Mimi, Baldewijns has started taking allergy medication and claims that Mimi is the best decision she’s ever made.
“She’s literally my soulmate,” she said. Now, Baldewijn hopes that her story will inspire others to consider adopting senior cats in shelters. "It's scary to know they won't be with you for a very long time but it's worth all the love they give,” she said.
Unfortunately, too many people overlook senior cats and instead favor kittens.
According to data obtained by 11Pets, over 40% of adopted cats are less than a year old. Additionally, it takes senior cats a significantly longer amount of time to get adopted compared to their younger counterparts.
Kittens that are less than a year old typically get adopted immediately, and spend no more than two months in shelters. The time doubles for cats between the ages of two and four and is 10 times longer for a cat between nine and 10 years old.
People are generally more drawn toward kittens since they will have a longer time with them, are relatively healthy and typically more playful than senior cats.
Senior cats have so much love to give, despite their older age.
While their vision may be fuzzier, they may need more assistance using the litter box and they may not have that much time left, they should not spend their golden years being overlooked in a cramped shelter cage.
Senior cats are also generally better trained than kittens and are less likely to scratch up your furniture and floors. They can also be left unsupervised for long periods of time.
Consider adopting a senior cat from your local shelter today! We promise they will be well worth it in the end, and you may just find yourself a new best friend.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.