After her husband died and the days became a bit long, Donna Pfeifโs doctor gave her an unusual prescription.
โGet a cat.โ
Sadly, the first animal she adopted became sick โ and costly โ and eventually had to be euthanized.
Pfeif didnโt think another animal would be possible, but today she is enjoying the funny antics of a 12-year-old feline named Puddy, as in the famous Looney Tunesโ line, โI tawt I taw a puddy tat.โ
Their friendship came by way of a local nonprofit that has started pairing older cats with older residents. Hearts That Purr Feline Guardians not only helps with the matches, but director Jeanmarie Schiller-McGinnis and her volunteers stay in touch regularly โ and the organization maintains ownership of the cats.
The nonprofit got started in 2013, with Schiller-McGinnis taking in older cats that had outlived their owners, or who couldnโt stay home because of their ownersโ failing heath. She got the senior foster program going a year ago and so far has placed about nine cats with senior companions.
โItโs not an adoption,โ she said. โThey are fostering the cat, but we retain legal ownership.โ
Schiller-McGinnis helps out with the costs that sometimes prevent people from pursuing pet ownership: veterinary bills, food, ongoing care. Once a foster is in place, if the person can no longer take care of the cat for any reason, Schiller-McGinnis takes it back.
For Pfeif, that was key.
โI would never have taken in another animal if she werenโt taking on the vet bills,โ she said. โI couldnโt afford it.โ
The program has been underway for less than a year, and Schiller-McGinnis is looking for more volunteers to help her realize her vision. Eventually, she hopes to rescue more older cats from local shelters.
Shari Ronstadt said Hearts That Purr dramatically changed her motherโs life. Katherine Fitzpatrick, 93, lives at Villa Maria Assisted Living and, a couple months back, lost her longtime cat, Millie.
โI saw her outlook, her energy, her demeanor, everything start to slide,โ she said. โShe told me she hated to go back to her apartment because thereโd be nobody to greet her at the door.โ
Fitzpatrick was reluctant to get a new cat, but knowing sheโd have help and support sealed it. She has been fostering Eddie, who is 10 and hails from Yuma.
โShe is absolutely crazy about Eddie,โ Ronstadt said. โShe thinks heโs the smartest cat.โ
Earlier this week, Fitzpatrick fell and is now hospitalized at Tucson Medical Center. Eddie, for the time being, is back with Schiller-McGinnis.
Ronstadt said her mother canโt wait to get home to Eddie, that caring for him gives her a sense of purpose and a reason to live.
Fitzpatrickโs doctor, Tucson geriatrician Elise Reinhard, said sheโs recommended a number of her patients get in touch with Schiller-McGinnis.
โHearts That Purr go out of their way to make it easy,โ she said. โYouโre not completely taking on the responsibility of caring for a pet.โ
Reinhard said she asks every new patient if they have pets or grandchildren, and if they feel lonely in their day-to-day life. โI ask, โWhat keeps you going and what is important to you?โโ she said.
โI think staying socially, mentally, physically active is so important for so many reasons,โ she said. โItโs so easy for people to become more isolated as they age, to lose those social connections.โ
Often, she said, animals are a good fit for someone who wants more companionship. Exercising and caring for a dog fits for some, she said, while others are better suited to life with a cat.
โCats like quiet environments and, while they need attention, they need minimal care and minimal activities,โ she said. โFor some, cats are ideal.โ
