A 101-year-old woman has adopted 19-year-old Gus, the oldest cat in a North Carolina animal shelter, in a “match made in heaven,” the Humane Society director overseeing the adoption said.
When the senior cat came to the Humane Society of Catawba County (HSCC) shelter, Executive Director Jane Bower knew she needed to find him a loving forever home — and fast.
“We took Gus in and proceeded to do a health check and found that for 19 years young, Gus was in exceptional health,” Bower told Newsweek. “Obviously we would take good care of Gus, but living in a shelter is not ideal, especially at his age.”
When a family came looking for a senior cat for their 101-year-old family matriarch Penny — who was grieving the recent lost of her own cat — Bower was hopeful she could pair them with Gus.
But before moving forward, shelter staff wanted to ensure that Gus would receive proper care. Penny’s family assured everyone that they would be helping to take care of Gus, and the adoption went forward.
The shelter announced the good news on Facebook.
“Our 19-year-old (133 in human years) great-grandPAW, has found the loving arms of his new mamma who is the ripe young age of 101,” the post declared. “Congratulations Gus-Gus. Wishing you the best days ahead watching squirrels and sharing your love and purrs.”
