A retirement village for cats lets felines live out their golden years in comfort in mini cottages

A beautiful and distinctive rescue effort by cat enthusiasts in the West Midlands is taking root and yielding positive results. Shropshire Cat Rescue, located in Shrewsbury, England, is dedicated to rescuing homeless, abandoned, stray and unwanted cats and kittens in the area. The thing that truly sets Shropshire Cat Rescue apart is its Moggies Retirement Village.

This unique facility is a safe haven for cats in their golden years who have been surrendered or found as strays. These cats are now living safely and comfortably in the retirement home, reports Good News Network. The retirement home is currently home to 17 cats, living out their golden years in comfort and safety. These felines are given the best possible care by devoted volunteers who dedicate their time and effort to ensure the cats are happy and healthy.

Since 1989, the organization has been rescuing and finding new homes for cats in the Shropshire region. While the sanctuary typically houses felines in their senior years, some cats as young as three years old also find their way there. Volunteers work around the clock to ensure the cats are well-fed, groomed and have a clean living space.

Additionally, the volunteers have established a program where local children can visit the sanctuary once a month and read to the cats, providing much-needed socialization and enrichment for the felines. Susie, a volunteer vet at the shelter, said: "The shelter was intended to create an area for cats who were too elderly or had ongoing health conditions that needed regular treatment and monitoring to live out their days in comfort."

Susie added, "It also opened the door for people who had elderly cats and were going into a nursing home and couldn't take them with them. It gives a different option and eases a stressful upsetting time by finding somewhere the cats could live out their final days."

Older cats, like older humans, tend to be fixed in their ways. As a result, their arrival at the retirement community can be somewhat stressful. For this reason, they are kept in a cottage for approximately two weeks, allowing them to adjust to their new surroundings.

According to Susie, the cats residing in the retirement village are weighed every week and carefully monitored for any changes in weight or signs of potential health issues. If any cats are causing concern, they are immediately taken to the vet or booked for an appointment as soon as possible. The volunteers tirelessly devote themselves to these cats' care every day of the year, around the clock, to ensure that the felines are living their best possible lives.

"Our volunteers are amazing coming up regardless of whether snow and torrential rain won't stop them," Susie added. On occasion, the retirement village can find new homes for the elderly cats, but those who are not adopted spend the remainder of their lives at the sanctuary. The volunteers are so dedicated that they have created memorial stones to honor all the cats who have passed away.