Senior Voice -

Imagine being older and losing the only home you’ve ever known. Everything that was familiar to you is suddenly gone.

That’s what happened to Qin Qin (pronounced Chin Chin), a 12-year old cat who had lived with the same people, in the same home, all her life. Due to an illness in her family, she found herself at Anchorage Animal Care and Control (AACC), with only her cat tree to remind her of what her life used to be.

And now, imagine, as an elderly woman having to move from your home into your child’s home. You are welcome there so you are grateful but also sad — after all, you’ve left behind everything that was familiar to you.

Is it possible that these two, Qin Qin and an elderly woman, could find each other? Yes, it is.

Karen was fortunate to have a daughter who noticed that she was becoming depressed. And her daughter knew that a feline companion might be just what her mother needed. So she asked an employee of Anchorage Animal Care and Control if there were any senior cats needing a home and that is how she learned about Qin Qin.

That evening she brought her mother to the shelter to meet Qin Qin and it was as if they both knew they needed each other. “My mother attached to Qin Qin the moment she saw her, picked her up, cuddled… she was a goner,” says her daughter. “I happily knew that these two would be perfect for each other.”

Their first night together was spent happily in each other’s company.

“Mom stayed up all night enjoying her furry companion. When I checked on them this morningm Mom was asleep and Qin Qin was on the bed.”

From that night on, Karen and Qin Qin’s relationship has only grown deeper. Karen says that “she and I understand each other’s voice and I know immediately what it is she wants. I feel a deep love for her.”

Their days are spent together in Karen’s studio, with Qin Qin asking for love and attention and Karen, no matter what she is doing, stopping to pick her up.

When asked if she would recommend a cat as a companion for other seniors, Karen gave us an emphatic “yes!” She went on to say that “It is an amazing feeling to get the love of a cat returned as I give her love. Plus, cats sleep a lot, as do I. When I can’t sleep and work in my studio, she sleeps in a chair near me. When I’m in bed she finds her way there also. We make a good team and I would highly recommend anyone who might be lonely to adopt a cat as a companion.”

Please consider adopting a senior cat, or dog, from your local animal shelter.

Laura Atwood is the public relations coordinator for the Anchorage Animal Care and Control.