Finding Second Chances: How My Grandfather’s Cat is Changing Lives for Pets and Seniors 
février 6, 2025
In a world where love knows no age, My Grandfather’s Cat is stepping up to bridge the gap between older adults and their beloved pets. Founded with a heartwarming mission, this organization ensures no pet is left behind when life’s challenges arise. We sat down with Angela Rafuse, Founder of My Grandfather’s Cat, to explore the compassionate services they offer to older adults across Canada.
My Grandfather’s Cat addresses the emotional challenges that older adults face in caring for their pets, especially during significant life transitions such as moving to retirement homes or coping with terminal illness. This aligns with Shannex Cares’ commitment to enhance seniors’ wellness by ensuring that emotional well-being is prioritized alongside physical health.
From rehoming beloved companions to providing essential pet care resources, My Grandfather’s Cat has been providing services for older adults since 2021. Their support goes beyond finding second homes for pets, but they also aim to create meaningful connections and uplift communities.
Compassionate Services for Older Adults and Their Pets
- Rehoming Service: a free service to help older adults and terminally ill people find homes for their pets before moving into retirement homes or passing away. Through the generosity of our donors and corporate partners, we do not charge adoption fees. We have found 240 second forever homes to date.
- Pet Pantry: a program that provides low-income older adults with pet food shipped directly to their door. We have fed more than 380 animals through our pet pantry and outreach events.
- Educational Resources: we work with a licensed veterinarian to provide free articles for older adults and our community to help them care for their pets. This includes monthly resource articles and adoption guides.
A Heartwarming Success Story: Bore’s Journey to a Second Forever Home
When his human was moving into a retirement home in June 2021, his beloved barn cat, Bore, needed a second forever home. One night, when watching CTV Evening News, he heard of a new organization called My Grandfather’s Cat and decided to see if they could help. He worked with Angela to find Bore a second forever home. Angela fostered Bore for one night in this unique adoption and decided to adopt him. She nicknamed him Bo; and gave him the middle name Morgan and they’ve been together ever since.
See more success stories here!
Grant Utilization and Expected Outcomes
They plan to use the generous grant funds to cover operating expenses, including marketing, to ensure they can continue to provide their rehoming service at no charge. Specifically, they spend an average of $200 on marketing to find second forever homes for adoptables, and this funding will directly support these efforts, allowing them to help up to 10 animals belonging to older adults and terminally ill individuals find their new forever homes.
As My Grandfather’s Cat continues to grow, we are proud to support them in their inspiring journey and the profound impact they’re making — one paw at a time.
To date, My Grandfather’s Cat has successfully facilitated over 240 adoptions, thanks to the dedication of their compassionate team of volunteers. They are always on the lookout for new volunteers to join their efforts and help further their impactful initiatives.
Angela Rafuse said, “I’ve always believed you can be the change you want to see in the world, and My Grandfather’s Cat is the embodiment of that. We are making a difference, one adoption at a time.”
My Grandfather’s Cat is one of the many organizations supported by our Shannex Cares Community Spirit Grant program, which provides funding for projects and initiatives focused on making a meaningful impact in the lives of older adults.
