After the death of Dave Lande’s two senior cats, Dutchie and Renee, both 16 years old, he decided to set up the Dutchie and Renee Senior Cat Rescue Foundation in their honor.
The goal of the foundation is to help older cats who have been turned into animal shelters. Owners can sometimes surrender their cats when they become elderly as older cats tend to have more health issues.
A person might find it hard to keep up with vet bills, or unfortunately, won’t have the time or ability to care for an older cat anymore.
No matter the reason, the Dutchie and Renee Senior Cat Rescue Foundation is here to help.
Prime of their lives
When most people go to an animal shelter, they are looking for younger cats or kittens. Senior cats in particular can have a hard time being adopted out, part of which could be due to their failing health.
But senior cats have so much life to live, and what is seen to be a normal part of old age can often be some other underlying condition that once treated will have senior cats running around like kittens!
Senior living
The Dutchie and Renee Senior Cat Rescue helps connect senior cats who are struggling in regular animal shelters with temporary foster homes, and ideally, find the home where they will live out the rest of their lives.
For Lisa and Dave Lande, the married couple who run the rescue foundation together, the most important goal is to re-home senior cats.
All the cats up for adoption are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and have received full health checks to enable a faster adoption process.
Adopting a cat is a big responsibility and adopting a senior cat means that a few extra considerations are needed when welcoming them home.
Considerations like making sure their necessities are easily accessible, like their food, water, beds, and litter trays.
Older cats are generally calmer, more patient, and sleep more than younger cats, which makes them less demanding pets.
The Dutchie ans Renee Senior Cat Rescue Foundation also provide space for “long term residents”, senior cats that will spend the rest of their lives in Dave and Lisa’s home.
With a good dose of tender love and care, senior cats can be the perfect addition to any family.