3020, let me bounce this off my father (will send him this thread in its entirety later in the day), and thanks! Is this a lap cat? Any pix? (You can PM me.) Obviously my parents need to be the ones to make the choice, I am just the “intermediary” 
I answer the phone calls left on a message line for our rescue. There are frequent calls from people needing to rehome older cats, and also from relatives of those who have died, leaving behind beloved cats. I would be so thrilled to have a resource to place such a cat, so I suggest calling local private rescues and tell them of your interest in taking in an older cat. Trust me, you will get many likely candidates, from people desperate to keep from taking an older cat to the shelter.
Thanks, clint!
This is all very encouraging, I’m sure we’ll be able to find something for them that will appreciate a loving home
I know our local Humane Society has a ‘Seniors for Seniors’ program where they match up middle aged or older dogs and cats with senior citizens and they waive the adoption fee. They do a good job of making sure the pet will be a good fit for it’s new family (i.e. low energy enough to not be taxing on the seniors that are adopting it etc) I don’t know if that program exists in other parts of the country, but it might be something to look into!
^^
THIS!
There are adult cats in need of a home and your parents are in need of feline company.
Edited to add - My Mom is living part-time with her sister - both well over 70. Aunt has a dog that keeps both of them active and engaged. Mom has neighbors, at her other home, who rescued a dog who keeps them moving and engaged.
Pets are almost always wonderful for humans, no matter the age.
You’ve gotten some great advice here already.
Just wanted to add that my local AC shelter specifically has cats for adoption as barn cats.
They spay/neuter and then notch an ear on the females, so if the cat goes feral or missing they recognize it as one of theirs & do not operate again.
This place would have no problems adopting out an inside/outside cat.
Dr D -
I will try to get pix of her. She is a lappy kitty, very affectionate and playful.
She had an accident about a year ago and had part of her tail amputated, but she is what I think of as a “round” cat, and it is hardly noticeable.
Dr D -
Sis will get pics of Sophie today and I’ll send them on, probably late tomorrow.
Thanks, everyone!
A “non feral” temperament will be paramount, my mother would love it if the cat would sleep with her…
[QUOTE=Lone;6139987]
I know our local Humane Society has a ‘Seniors for Seniors’ program where they match up middle aged or older dogs and cats with senior citizens and they waive the adoption fee. They do a good job of making sure the pet will be a good fit for it’s new family (i.e. low energy enough to not be taxing on the seniors that are adopting it etc) I don’t know if that program exists in other parts of the country, but it might be something to look into![/QUOTE]
One of the shelters near me does something similar, except they do it as a fostering program. I suspect there are two reasons for running it as a foster program 1) The elders who participate know they are still capable of volunteering and making a difference 2) The shelter is better able to keep tabs on the animals and retrieve them if the elder loses the ability to provide care.
[QUOTE=Dr. Doolittle;6140447]
Thanks, everyone!
A “non feral” temperament will be paramount, my mother would love it if the cat would sleep with her…:)[/QUOTE]
Is there a cat that won’t sleep with you and on you and pinning you down?:lol:
[QUOTE=Bluey;6140619]
Is there a cat that won’t sleep with you and on you and pinning you down?:lol:[/QUOTE]
True! I’ve spent my entire life with cats in my bed, on my head or trying to get there, sometimes against all odds…young boys and dogs in the bed, closed doors, etc…they always find a way or scream bloody murder to object to being kept out.
:lol: :lol:
How about fostering for a rescue?
You’ve already gotten a lot of wonderful responses, but I thought I’d chime in = )
My grandmother (70) and her husband (80+) just lost their cat who they’d gotten as a senior already (10 when they got her). This cat was the first animal her husband has ever ever gotten thoroughly attached to. She was the cat who made him finally understand why my grandma and I are so crazy about horses. Until this little girl came along, he couldn’t understand why people would devote so much time, energy, and money to an animal.
Fast forward to this holiday season, they found out she was very sick and had some tumors and other issues that were putting her life expectancy at weeks. My grandma’s husband has had his own health issues recently and was feeling very stressed about losing his girl as well as stressed about his own health. They had to put her down just after Christmas (also his birthday).
Well, the decision was made that the best way to heal was to get another cat. After a thorough search, they found one at a local shelter that was gorgeous and friendly. She had also lived with a senior that had recently passed, so she was all set. She was immediately super snuggly friendly and laid back and never once wanted to leave her people to explore. She flopped down in the middle of the living room on day one and has spent the majority of her time since on someone’s lap = )
Anyway, I feel very comfortable our family can absorb this kitty if needed, no sweat. If not, she will squeeze in with one of us until we can find a more suitable home (what’s one more little cat, you know?)
Long story short: the benefits to my grandma and her husband are too enormous to fret about what might happen if for some reason this cat outlives them.
If they were my parents, I’d encourage them to get another cat. My parents sacrificed enough for me, I had cats, dogs, birds, one pet mouse despite my mother’s objections, horses of course… if I ended up having to take on the cat should it outlive them, I’d be the least I could do :yes:
Parents sacrifice enough for us… that’s how I look at it.
Glad to hear all the answers are encouraging. Although not the same situation, my Mother is in an assisted living facility. She is 97, the dog they have living there came in as a pup, and he is now acting old. While we just took Mom out for lunch the other day where she had a sausage and pepper sandwich!
Animals just add such a quality to life, and you can’t worry about who goes first… or who benefits the most - everyone does! 
Animals just add such a quality to life, and you can’t worry about who goes first… or who benefits the most - everyone does!
CVPeg, LOVE the above statement!
Parents are mulling it over, my mother wants to “get two kittens so that they will play with each other” (my father is trying to gently dissuade her from this idea ;)), but I think they just need a little more time to process the loss of the last one, and it will enable my father and me to nudge Grandma in the direction of adopting/fostering an older cat.
Though I am not much of a cat person myself, we have a rescue cat at home, she is about 6 or 7 (got her from Fancy Cats for my DAUGHTER, now 17. Guess who will keep the cat she begged for when she goes to college? :lol:) She is a nice cat, but it took her a long while to settle in–she was rescued from a hoarder who had 40 cats. The recommendation was that she be the only cat, poor thing, though she has adjusted well to the dogs, over the years…
Thanks for all the suggestions, my father read the thread and he expressed his appreciation
