Woman Helps Senior Pet Owners Rehome Their Cats Before Passing Away

June 4, 2024 Malorie Thompson

A woman in Nova Scotia, Canada is making a huge difference for seniors in her community by helping them rehome their cats before they pass away or move to a retirement home.

Angela Rafuse created the nonprofit My Grandfather's Cat after adopting her late grandfather's cat when he passed away.

Photo: Pexels/Inge Wallumrød

On the charity website, Rafuse explains that her grandfather put off going to a retirement home because he was caring for his late wife's cat and he couldn't bring the animal with him.

After going through that experience, she learned that her grandfather wasn't alone in worrying about the fate of his pet. Many seniors worry about what would happen to their pets if they move to a retirement home or pass away.

Photo: Pexels/Cats Coming

Rafuse wanted a way to help. She said, "I knew I had the skills and abilities to create a service to help. So, I founded My Grandfather's Cat as a safe space for seniors to arrange second forever homes for their beloved pets."

Since starting the non-profit in 2021, Rafuse helped rehome dozens of cats whose owners could no longer care for them. It's something that allowed their aging owners to have peace of mind while moving on to a retirement home or hospital.

Photo: TikTok/@mygrandfatherscat

Back in February of 2023, Rafuse shared on TikTok that her non-profit had officially rehomed 100 cats!

"Our 100 adoption. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making this dream a reality," she wrote on TikTok.

@mygrandfatherscat Our 100 adoption 🤍 From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making this dream a reality. #nonprofit #charity #cattok #adoptdontshop ♬ son original - tswiftmusic

Malorie Thompson

Malorie works as a writer and editor in Northern California. She's passionate about food, conscious living, animal welfare, and conservation. She's worked with a variety of publications in different sectors but is happiest covering topics close to her heart. When not at her laptop, Malorie can be found enjoying picnics on the beach, hiking in the redwoods, and spending time with her rescue pup, Jax.

Country/region

Help Animals That Need Medical Care

Unique Quality Products

From exclusive pet-loving designs to hand-crafted artisan goods, our products are hand-picked for their superior quality and unique features.

Exceptional Value

We believe that shopping for good should be affordable and accessible to everyone, which is why we offer fair pricing and daily deals.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

With 20 years of extraordinary customer service and a stellar 4.8 ⭐ average rating, we stand by our process and your guaranteed satisfaction.

Every Purchase Gives Back

Every single purchase helps fund today’s most relevant and impactful causes so you can contribute to the causes you care about most, supporting people, pets, and the planet.

Join the Movement

Connect with millions of animal lovers and humanitarians that make up the GreaterGood community, and discover the power of collective impact. Together, we’ve raised over $80 million for charity and counting!