26-year-old senior cat had nowhere to go — Until a woman saw his Facebook post

The cat named Thomas was surrendered to a shelter after his owner fell ill and was unable to care for him. The staff of Baltimore Country Animal Services quickly began looking for a rescue organization to take care after he arrive at the shelter. Thomas was a little more than they could handle because he was 26 years old already.

Those cats between the ages of 10 to 13 already had a hard time finding homes but at the age of 26? That’s why the shelter realized that Thomas’ chances were limited.

There were a lot of medical issues that cats of that age often encounter and not all the people are willing to give all those needs. The shelter knows that it will be difficult to find a rescue that will accept Thomas. So they began posting photos of him on their Facebook page. There the right woman saw him and knew she could help.

A webmail administrator and Animal Allies Rescue Foundation (AARF) named Laura Cassiday is his foster parent, Laura saw a post about the cat and she was immediately attracted, especially because of Thomas’ age. Laura knew that the senior cat is having a hard time finding the right person who is willing to take him. And Laura is the one that Thomas is looking for.

“I was scrolling through my news feed and read ‘26’ and stopped in my tracks. I had never even heard of a cat that old. It was a snap decision; I commented that they could stop looking and I’d take him, and we called the shelter to say AARF would pull him. I picked him up the next morning.” Laura said.

Laura decided to keep Thomas rather than placing him for adoption via AARF. She doesn’t want the cat to wait for a home when he already might not have a lot of time left, that’s why Laura decided to be his “Fospice” mom which means she will take care of him for the rest of his life.

The senior cat was examined by a veterinarian and he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and severe dental disease after that he was placed on medicine for both.

Thomas has been in his new home for over a week and is still adjusting to everything. It’s like he’d spent his whole life in his former house, and at 26 years old, leaving the only home you’ve ever known is a big issue. Laura is delighted to have him and has already fallen in love with his charming, old guy nature. She owns four cats and two other foster cats, all much younger than Thomas, obviously, and he definitely brings a calm energy to the already bustling household.

When Laura said that “Young cats are a lot of work. They get into trouble. Thomas unrolls all of the toilet paper at least once a week, thus I waste a lot of money on it. Thomas sleeps calmly in his bed all day and doesn’t bother anyone. He’s the complete pet. I’m not saying that everyone should go out and adopt a 26-year-old cat, but maybe give that 12- or 13-year-old a second look if you’re seeking to adopt. They need you far more than a cat.”

After adopting Thomas. Laura got a lot of attention and her family has been touched by the support they’ve got for taking care of the sweet and adorable old cat. They also got a lot of comments, messages, and donations from the people who wants to support the cat during his golden years. That’s why Laura and her family are so overwhelmed by all the kindness and Thomas is just calmed by it all.

According to Laura, Thomas was an irritable old man, he doesn’t like the status of being famous and wanted to be alone. But it still the cat enjoys being petted and will play with toys sometimes.

Although Laura didn’t know how much time she will have with Thomas if it was just a month or a couple of years, she is happy for the time they will spend together and thankful that she and AARF are able to save Thomas life.

We feel so grateful for Thomas because he finally found a lovely home with a lovely human that will take care of him until his last breath!