Each Day Is a Gift – Adopting a Senior Pet

Written by Pets ALive Cat Manager, Becky Tegze
“No you didn’t?” “Are you crazy?” “My god you have a heart of gold.” “I could never do that.” “Really a 16 year old cat?” “I wish I could.” “I don’t know how you did it.” “You truly are an angel.” These are just some of the things I’ve heard when someone learns I adopted a cat who was 16 years young (my girl is in the prime of her life and I refuse to call her old).
Sheba isn’t just a 16 year old cat who needed a home, she is a cat that at the age of 10 was dumped at NYC’s very high kill Center Animal Care & Control (CACC) because her owners were moving. She somehow made it out of the CACC alive, was lucky enough to end up at Pets Alive in 2005 where she waited patiently for a forever home for 6 years. I do apologize Sheba for making you wait so long but like many others, mommy needed a kick in the you know what.
Let me back up a little bit here in my story. I first met Queen Sheba in 2007 when I started volunteering at Pets Alive. The more I volunteered the more I found myself making Sheba my first and last stop of the day whenever I volunteered. I started buying her special treats and pretty beds and collars for each holiday. Dale, the cat manager at the time, would say “Just take her home, when are you going to take her home? You know you are going to!” No, no I can’t, I already have a senior at home, I can’t do it. I can’t lose two of them back to back. She is 16 I’ll only have maybe a few months with her, I would respond.
Then the phone call came, “Beck, just wanted to let you know I have may have an adopter interested in Sheba.” Dead silence on the phone, my heart dropped, the tears were instant, and I choked out “is it a good home?” My minds races – OMG was Sunday the last day I would get to kiss and love on Sheba? Was that really the last time I would see her. I pull myself back together. This is what volunteering means. Loving them and loving them enough to let them go. Our goal is for them all to find homes so we can save others and love and care for them till their time comes to find a forever home. I finally found my voice “Thanks for letting me know. Kiss her goodbye for me and tell her that I love her.” It comes out barely as a whisper past the lump in my throat. I hang up and cry my eyes out – happy tears that the sweet senior I love, and who has been waiting far too long, will finally have a home. I’m crying because I love her so much, and I’m happy for her …yet my heart is breaking for selfish reasons cause she won’t be mine anymore. Oh why hadn’t I brought her home with me?
The weekend rolls around and I make the drive up to Pets Alive. It doesn’t feel the same. My Sheba won’t be there. She is in a home. She has a new family. I find I can’t bring myself to stop at the cat house. It just hurts too much. I head down to the kennel and walk and love on some dogs.
Why hadn’t I brought her home with me? Was it her age? Worrying she wouldn’t be with me for years to come because of her age? But is there really any guarantee? No there isn’t. I have friends who have lost cats to cancer, and other diseases at very young ages. I myself lost my first cat when she was only 13. So I could cross that off my list. No matter what age you adopt a cat there is no guarantee on how long they will be with you. It doesn’t make you love them any differently or any less. Regardless if they are with you 5 years or 20 years you still love them and they will love you.
Later that night the phone rings “Hey why didn’t you stop at the cat house? I saw your car”. I reply “I just couldn’t. It’s too soon after Sheba has gone home.”
“OMG, you don’t know, the woman picked a different cat, Sheba is still here.” “What!!!!! OMG my girl! I could have seen my girl!” I go to bed kicking myself I could have seen her I could have loved on her today my Sheba is still there. STILL THERE. Those are the last thoughts I have as I fall to sleep.
I wake up with those words still haunting me “still there”. She has been over looked again. This is what should make me cry, not that I won’t get to see her again but that this cat that I love so much is STILL THERE. This sweet senior, overlooked again. Was it because of a NUMBER, because like me people are afraid to adopt a senior all because of a number?
“Dale, it’s Becky pack Sheba’s bags she is going home today. I’ll be there in an hour”.
I’m determined this sweet senior will not be “homeless” one more night. She IS GOING HOME!
It’s been almost 3 years since I made that phone call and brought my girl home. Sheba is now 18 years young and going strong, loving life, loving her toys, enjoying sunbeams in her very own home and we are loving each other.
Sheba has disproven every single “reason” I had come up with in my mind not to adopt a senior.
Each day is a gift, there are no guarantees in life, never take anything or anyone for granted, and you never know how long someone will be in our life and most importantly AGE IS JUST A NUMBER. Sheba has taught me the greatest gift you can give is the gift of loving unconditionally, not to judge or to be afraid of an age it is just a number, not to worry about the time you won’t have together but to enjoy the time YOU DO HAVE TOGETHER.
“I couldn’t afford the vet bills” is something I hear also. Since I brought Sheba into my home she hasn’t required any more vetting then my younger cats. In fact I’ve probably spent more money on my younger cats then I have on Sheba. Unless you have a Magic 8 Ball or a crystal ball you have no way of knowing what the future will hold. Young cats get sick too and because we love them, we will do whatever we can do for them.
Adopting a senior has been an eye opening experience and more rewarding than words could ever express. So get over your fear it’s just a number, stop worrying about what little time you may have but CELEBRATE the time you do have. Open your heart and home to a senior and you too will experience the greatest gift of all! There is nothing more rewarding then waking up each morning with my Sheba curled up next to me. We may not have 20 years together but we make each day count and we never take each other for granted. She has taught me to cherish each day, each moment, each purr, each midnight zoomie (luckily at her age her zoomies are usually around 8pm cause like her momma she likes to sleep).
Pets Alive and Pets Alive Westchester has many amazing seniors, just like my Sheba, who are waiting for you to come and give them the greatest gift – a second chance at a loving home. I promise it will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Step above the rest, step outside the box and open your heart and home to some of the most deserving animals in need.
ADOPT A SENIOR PET!
Buttons, Candi, Benji, Bridget, Jamie and Mamma Mae Maria are just a few who are waiting for you to give them a second chance!

5 Comments

Beret on July 30, 2013 at 12:54 pm

Sniff…sniff…tears here! What a wonderful story, I hope Sheba enjoys many more days with you. 🙂

Katherine on July 30, 2013 at 12:55 pm

I loved reading this today of all days. Today has been 6 years since my 16 year old, Mistie passed away due to Cancer. She was rescued when she was only about 7 days old and it was a miracle each 24 hours that she pulled through. And then she made it to 2 weeks old. And, before I know it, 16 years have passed. A side from the Cancer that claimed her so fast in the weeks before that, nobody would have believed she was 16.
Anyway, on this day, this blog was something I needed because I still miss my Mistie everyday. I hope this blog encourages others to see how much a Senior cat can bring. And that age is truly just a number. May you and Sheba have many more cherished moments.

Marianna on July 31, 2013 at 8:44 am

Becky, this was awesome. I had to share this immediately for all my friends to read. It lifted my spirit this morning and hope it helps others.

Pia on August 8, 2013 at 4:19 pm

Thank you Becky, this was a great post!
We were those people. We were the ones who walked into Pets Alive and the first thing I said to you was “we’re looking for a young kitty, a couple of years old at most, not a kitten but not someone with whom we will only have a scant couple of years. I can’t bear the heartache of losing another kitty in just a short while.”
You smiled and nodded and walked us around. You didn’t ignore my request, but you just let us wander, introduced us to one and another and the next, told us names and personalities and that was that. When Aprile chose Steve, you smiled and said “well, she’s about 10 or 11, we aren’t sure.” I balked and you smiled. Steve looked at me with those big brown eyes of his, and Aprile snugged herself around his neck and I said “no no, she’s too old.” We wandered around some more and came back around to the library, she leapt up on him again. You smiled. He looked at me with those big brown eyes. She blinked at me with those big green ones. SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH.
10 or 11 isn’t even that old but in MY mind at the time she was a thousand… but the way she zoomed through the house last night AT 4 AM AND DOVE INTO THE SHOPPING BAG AND ROLLED AROUND INSIDE IT LIKE A MANIAC, KNOCKING OVER A STOOL AND CAUSING NO END OF NOISE AND EXCUSE ME, STEVE SLEPT THROUGH THE WHOLE THING …. I think you got it wrong, Becky: She’s 6 months old forever, I SWEAR 🙂
I’ve lost teenaged friends in high school, I’ve lost family members who were 85. You get the time you get. I’ll never discriminate again, either due to age or FIV+. Not everyone will be as active as she is but she’s incredibly loving and a CHAMPION snuggler, her favourite place is anywhere on top of a human being for as long as possible, this old cat is the best decision we ever made.