Shelter Celebrates Cat’s 19th Birthday With A Party & The Gift Of A Happy Home

Written by: Kelli Brinegar
For more than five years, Kelli Brinegar has been using her ability to write and her passion for research to tell the tale of what cats are thinking and why. She has provided care to more than 30 cats in her lifetime.Read more
| Published on June 29, 2021

Happy birthday, senior Sammy!

On June 15, Sammy the senior cat celebrated his 19th birthday and, for his gift, this sweet senior cat received the best present of all…a new home where he can live comfy and happy in his golden years.

Before he headed off with his new family though, the shelter staff and volunteers of Cincinnati Animal CARE wanted to throw the good boy a birthday bash!

So, up went the streamers, and out came the sparkly, blue hat meant just for the birthday boy. Though he’d been with Cincinnati Animal CARE’s Kitty City only a week, Sammy captured hearts, and everyone gathered round to celebrate and lavish Sammy with good wishes.

Cincinnati Animal CARE spokesperson Ray Anderson told HuffPost, “Sammy is just amazingly sweet, likes to cuddle, likes to be held, likes to rest his head on you and was definitely soaking up all the attention today.”

But, how did such a good cat wind up in a shelter at 19 years old?

Home Lost to Home Found

As Ray explained, Sammy had “a loving home for many, many years,” and while his person didn’t want to say goodbye to a cherished companion, they had to move into assisted living. Sadly, Sammy couldn’t go, and he was given over to the cat lovers at CARE.

“It’s how we knew his birthday was today,” said Ray. “They told us when he was surrendered into our care.”

Knowing the date of his birthday and that Sammy was celebrating such an amazing age, the shelter decided a party was just what this boy needed after such a major change in his life. And despite those changes, “he’s a very agreeable cat, as I’m sure you can tell with his spectacular hat he got to wear today.”

Not only agreeable, he’s a cat who likes to sit back and relax while watching what’s going on around him. And don’t think you can sneak anything by Sammy. Ray said this smart cat “is very observant.”

In “Pretty Good Shape” for an Old Man

Though he’s advanced in age and dealing with the changes life has handed him, Sammy’s health is pretty alright.

“He does have a heart murmur and a small mass under his ear, but our medical team doesn’t believe they require any special treatment.”

Not too shabby for a fluffy old man!

To cap off a special occasion for a very special cat, Sammy has been adopted! His family was so excited to bring him home; they were waiting outside CARE’s Kitty City before the doors even opened on the day of Sammy’s adoption. Plus, Sammy went home with a feline friend—his family is adopting another of the senior cats at the shelter, too!

With so many cats across the U.S. in need of homes, Ray put out a plea not just for the cats of Ohio, but for all the kitties.

“We’d encourage anyone whose heart is warmed by Sammy’s birthday party to adopt from their local animal shelter – they all need you right now.”

Are you thinking about adopting a cat? Consider Adopting a Senior Cat For These 6 Amazing Reasons.

H/T: www.fox2detroit.com
Feature Image: Cincinnati Animal CARE/Facebook