[Vision2020] Caturday (August 15, 2015)

[Moscow Cares]

Welcome to Hearts that Purr, a 'retirement' home for homeless cats that are left behind when their people become terminally ill or have died. It's nice to have a home on Caturday.

Courtesy of The Examiner (Denver, Colorado) at:

http://www.examiner.com/article/hearts-that-purr-is-a-retirement-home-for-homeless-cats-left-behind

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Hearts that Purr is a 'retirement' home for homeless cats left behind

What do you do when you're diagnosed with a terminal illness, or something else happens, and you can no longer care for your cat? Some people have arrangements, but many don't, because they either don't know what they're going to do, or because they just haven't thought about it. One organization, in Tucson, Ariz., aims to help the cats of people in this tragic situation.

According to a story on Tucson.com, a cat-lover and businesswoman, Jeanmarie Schiller-McGinnis, created Hearts that Purr, an organization dedicated to cats that have found themselves homeless because their people are terminally ill, and/or have died. According to Schiller-McGinnis, cats that have lived with people for a long time, particularly senior cats, don't do well in shelters. "They deteriorate rather quickly," she said.

Because of that, once they go into shelters, it's unlikely that they'll ever come out. Hearts that Purr has two missions: The first is to provide a loving, caring environment for cats in these situations, and the second is to educate the public about how important planning for your cat's ongoing care, in the event of your incapacitation or death, is.

This isn't the first home for cats in this situation. Lincolnshire Trust for Cats is a retirement home, of sorts, for cats in these situations in the U.K. Founded in 1999, all of its cats once belonged to someone who either died, or is in a home themselves, and can't care for their cats any longer. As of early March, they had 80 cats in their care.

Japan has a concept retirement home for pets, as well, although as of last fall, it was intended to be just for dogs. The law there requires people to care for a pet for its entire life, despite the fact that there are legitimate reasons why someone may no longer be able to provide that care. Aeonpet Co., created this retirement home as a way to address that problem.

Hearts that Purr got its start with two rescues that belonged to a 99-year old woman who died in 2013. She lived alone in a trailer in Cochise County, south of Tucson, and her biggest worry was for her cats. Schiller-McGinnis hadn't yet opened Hearts that Purr, but she took them in anyway.

The two cats died within a year, but Schiller-McGinnis said that cemented her commitment to making this work. In addition to rescuing cats whose people can no longer care for them, she also helps rescue cats at high risk for euthanasia from Pima Animal Care Center. They don't turn any animal away, and they're frequently overcrowded because of it.

Sadly, Hearts that Purr can only handle a certain number of cats, and Schiller-McGinnis is often forced to turn cats away. However, she's hoping to expand her services, and possibly create some room, with a foster program that matches senior cats to senior citizens. Many seniors are isolated and living alone, and having a cat can provide a lot of companionship.

These kinds of "retirement" homes are a great idea for pets. We have more than just Hearts that Purr here in the U.S., but we could stand to have more.

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Hearts that Purr, in Tucson, Ariz., takes in cats whose owners can't care for them anymore, or who have died.

http://www.moscowcares.com/Caturday/Caturday_081515.jpg


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Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares" 
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

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