Freddie has been having fun with her screened-in house at Cat Depot for greater than 60 days now, ready patiently for somebody to comb her away to a home wherein she will be able to spend her golden years.
At 12, Freddie is a pleasant feminine home quick hair accessible for adoption at Cat Depot, a free-roaming rescue, adoption and training middle on seventeenth St. in Sarasota.
Freddie is one of some Cat Depot residents who qualify for his or her Seniors to Seniors program.
The program, operated in partnership with nationwide organization Pets for the Elderly – which raises funds to subsidize the cost of adoptions — permits folks 60 and older to undertake a cat that’s 8 or older for a decreased adoption charge of $25. Cat Depot charges are usually between $75 and $100.
“You know, in someone who’s aging, they’re less able to get outside, they’re less able to connect socially, and having an animal can help offset that,” stated Cat Depot Executive Director Susan Hanus. “And I think that people really care for animals, and that we as a society carry with us a sense of wanting to care for and take care of domestic animals.”
Hanus stated caring for animals can have well being advantages, particularly for older pet homeowners. She factors to analysis that connects animal possession with higher coronary heart well being, decrease weight problems ranges, and decrease charges of despair and loneliness.
The Seniors to Seniors program doesn’t simply profit people, although.
Senior cats are sometimes tougher to seek out properties for and that may result in larger prices for shelters. Hanus stated she thinks issues about veterinary prices would possibly push potential pet homeowners towards youthful animals, including Cat Depot is learning the phenomenon to raised perceive and handle issues about older pets.
The organization has positioned about 20 cats in this system up to now, and Hanus stated they plan for this system to proceed indefinitely.
“We’ve seen such a wonderful, benevolent response to it that we have no reason to stop it,” Hanus stated. “The density of 65+ people living here is way over the national average, so the two things happen. One, you have seniors adopting … and two, you have senior cats being relinquished. So, whether you come in from the people end or you come in from the cat end, it’s a win either way, no matter how you look at it.”
Cat Depot has three cats accessible for adoption who qualify for the Seniors to Seniors program, they usually count on no less than three extra quickly.
All of their adoptable cats can be seen on-line at catdepot.org/undertake/.
Sarah Owens is a reporter for the Community News Collaborative. She could be reached at [email protected].
