While many people celebrate the holidays at home with their families a senior cat is still waiting for hers. She has been waiting since before Thanksgiving.
Kathryn Custer volunteers at an animal shelter and shared a video on her TikTok account called @brandnewkathryn. The video shows Gumball who is a 15-year-old cat without any teeth. Animal control brought her to Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center in Blackwood New Jersey on November 13. Custer told Newsweek that Gumball was in rough shape when she arrived.
She explained that Gumball could not take care of herself while living outside because she has no teeth. Custer said that Gumball is very calm & quiet.
Kittens meet foster home residents who calmly teach them confidence comfort and how to cat
She has been dealing with an upper respiratory infection that won’t go away because she is living at the shelter. Gumball is now spending her second major holiday at the animal shelter while she waits for a family to adopt her.
In the December 22 video Custer opened the cat’s kennel to give her some love and affection. The older cat seemed unsure at first and moved away from Custer’s fingers as she shifted her position before finally giving in and accepting the head scratches. She even asked for more by rubbing her head against Custer’s hands when she stopped.
Custer said she is an overall sweet cat who clearly wants attention when she realizes you’re willing to give it.
Gumball’s wait shows a bigger problem happening in shelters across the country. While overall cat adoptions have stayed about the same this year compared to last year younger cats saw a six percent increase in adoptions according to Shelter Animals Count. At the same time adult and senior cats both dropped by seven percent each. This shows how much harder it is for older cats to find homes.
An article from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals explains that false beliefs about senior cats prevent many from finding homes. People wrongly assume these older cats are less healthy and less friendly than younger ones. They also think senior cats cannot be trained easily. The truth is quite different. Senior cats usually have stable personalities that new owners can predict. They adapt to new homes faster than kittens do.
These cats need less supervision throughout the day. They can still form deep connections with new families. TikTok users felt sad when they learned about Gumball’s situation. Many people left encouraging comments on the video.
They hoped someone looking to adopt a cat would see the post and choose Gumball. One person wrote that Gumball seemed like a sweet little angel. They expressed hope that the right person would find the post. Another user pleaded with viewers to adopt this cat. Anyone who wants to adopt Gumball or another animal can send an email to [email protected]. More details are available on the website.
