By Irina di Vincenzo
I have been volunteering at the Burbank animal shelter since the beginning of this year and it has been fulfilling in so many ways. The happiest moments are when an older or a long time resident of the shelter gets adopted. I fell in love with an 8 year old cat at the shelter named Greyson and the moment he rested his head on my chest I knew I had to bring him home with me. I wasn’t fully aware of what adopting an older cat really meant, but let me tell you something…the perks are many!
Greyson made himself comfortable the moment he got home. He knew where the litter box was, where the food was, and *especially* where the couch was! (We had to fight for what was formerly my spot on the couch. He won but he likes to share!)
My husband and I work during the week, and Greyson happily enjoys the AC and some bird watching through the window. Here he is laying on one of the many beds I made for him….and I just realized I don’t really own a blanket anymore.
He seems to understand my physical and emotional situations and he shows me his support and love by sleeping on me. He can sense when I’m not feeling well and pays extra attention. There’s finally a good thing about getting sick: we get to spend more time together.
When I’m home and taking a break from my busy life, I enjoy taking naps. Greyson and I have a lot more in common that I thought.
We enjoy watching TV together, although sometimes he judges me for my movie choices.
He is also a well behaved “gentlecat” who waits for his treats with patience…at least most of the time.
Adopting an older cat is a great idea for someone like me, who is really busy and enjoys their time at home just relaxing. Plus (and it’s the biggest plus) older pets will always have the “thank you for saving my life” look when in reality they have the magic power where they just exist and make your life better for it.
