Animal Rescue Program Pairs Senior Cats with Senior Citizens

Research shows that living with a cat provides many health benefits, including lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol, stress relief, and improved mental health, and can especially enhance the lives of senior citizens. So nonprofit animal rescue Feline Urban Rehab and Rescue (FURR) is tapping into the power of cat companionship. The center pairs elderly cats with elderly people through their program Seniors 4 Seniors, which covers medical costs associated with owning an older cat, such as medications and trips to the vet. The pets remain legally under the organization’s care, meaning they will not have to return to a shelter if the seniors become unable to care for them. FURR, based out of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, currently has 11 pairs of senior citizens and cats, specifically chosen based on the cats’ dispositions and the applicants’ living habits and preferences. “We have the same type of life, so that’s why we bonded,” Ken Johnson, one of the seniors in the program, told a local news outlet, The Morning Call. “He’s my little buddy, and we have a great friendship.”

See Their Friendship