After 19 Years of Waiting, Cash Gets Furever Home
Cash the Cat may have set a new world record for cats awaiting adoption; he’s been waiting for 19 years (longer, even than Minxy did!). This heartwarming story describes how Lee Van Camp — a woman with a very big heart — was willing to give Cash a chance at a happy home in his sunset years.
The following success story is from Best Friends Animal Society:
Story by David Dickson
Photos by Molly WaldChasing dreams is not always for the faint of heart. Some dreams come easy, others take much longer. Some take so long, in fact, that they seem to fade into the distance and all but disappear. For Cash the cat, it would be easy to understand if he ever became discouraged about the dream of finding a home. After all, he’d been waiting over 19 years.
Cash was found as a stray 4-week-old kitten with FIV. He came to Best Friends at the time and has been here ever since. Heck, he’s been at the sanctuary longer than a lot of the buildings.
When Lee Van Camp of Fountain Hills, Arizona, began thinking about adopting a cat from Best Friends, she knew just what to do. A previous Best Friends adopter twice over, Lee wrote to Best Friends adoption manager Kristi Litrell and told her what she was looking for — an older, special needs cat.
Her previous two adoptions at Best Friends were senior dogs. P.J. and Brandon were each 13-years-old when Lee adopted them. “They deserve to have a good home,” Lee says, about older pets. “Even though they may not be with you for ten years or more, you can still give them the same love.”
So when it came time to adopt a cat, Lee knew from the outset she wasn’t going to be picking a kitten. Kristi wrote back with a suggestion that sounded promising. Cash was an FIV cat who had been at Best Friends waiting for a home for 19 years. He didn’t have any teeth (which incidentally means he can’t infect another animal with FIV), but was otherwise in good health. Would she like to meet him?
Lee drove up to Best Friends and spent an entire week with Cash. Her first impression upon meeting him was that he didn’t look like an almost-20-year-old cat. She thought he seemed a lot younger. She also came to recognize very quickly at least some of the reasons why he might have been overlooked for so long.
“He’s not the cat who will come marching over to say hello,” Lee explains. He was the wallflower — the one in the background who avoided the spotlight every chance he could.
Cashing in
Even though Cash tried to pull the shy routine with Lee, she was determined to win him over with kindness. Armed with persistence and a pocketful of treats, Lee spent day after day bonding with Cash. It didn’t take long before Cash recognized something special in her.
Before the week was over, Cash would even crawl up on her lap for pets and goodies. By the time she had to leave the sanctuary, Lee knew she could give him a good home — the home he’s always deserved. “His forever home,” as she likes to emphasize. Make no mistake, now at Lee’s residence, this cat is not going anywhere.
Lee knows a thing or two about caring for older animals. Her dog P.J., the one she adopted from Best Friends last year, is on a whole assortment of various medications and treatments. Undaunted, Lee takes in stride all the special needs that can come with age for P.J. and her other pets. To her way of thinking, though, Cash is a walk in the park. No real special needs, other than the fact he’s not a spry young kitten any more.
If there’s one thing Lee likes to pass along to others, it’s encouraging them to consider adopting an older pet. “There’s nothing like it,” she explains. “They are so appreciative to finally get a forever home.” That certainly includes Cash.
For the entire car ride home, Cash never made one sound. Every time she’d lean back and look at him, Cash would just glance back quietly. You have to wonder if he kept waiting for someone to pinch him and wake him up.
In his new home, Cash is finally getting to experience all those things he’s heard so much about over the years. Things like closets and beds. But even the everyday stuff takes some getting used to. If Lee is on the bed, for example, Cash will join her. If she’s gone, however, no dice. Remember, human furniture might as well be a UFO floating around the living room for all he’s seen of the inside of a house!
Lee knows Cash might take a little while getting used to a home setting. So far, however, he seems content with this newfangled approach to living. It will only get better from here. And no matter what else, as Lee says, “He’s going to get lots of love.”
Congratulations, the both of you. Thanks for the reminder that dreams do indeed come true.
Cash may have been one of the sanctuary’s longest-term residents, however, there are still plenty of other mature felines who are available for adoption.
You, too, can make a senior cat’s life happy in her last few years, or save a special-needs cat from certain euthanization. Check with your local shelter or Best Friends to find out how to adopt.
Cash is living proof that FIV positive cats can live long, healthy lives. My mother-in-law has a senior formerly-feral FIV+ cat who is over 15 years old. Aside from a thyroid problem and occasional dental extractions, he’s been in great health, and is one of the sweetest, most loving cats I’ve even known.
Oh that just makes us so weepy — we are so happy for Cash!!!
So heartwarming! I hope more people follow suit and adopt older animals.
Mommy and I LOVED this story! Way to go, Cash!!! Not only is he in his “golden years” but he has FIV. That in itself is remarkable! Older kitties AND kitties with FIV/FeLV deserve to be loved, too!
Good for Lee! We hope Cash gets the time to enjoy his home. And we are weepy too!
WOW! What a great story! We need this kind of stroy to hit home with more people so many more “older” kitties can make there way to a good home like Cash. Have a great life Cash and new Mom, you both deserve it. Loved it…
Yep that one me us cry.. how wonderful for Cash. |:|
We too are weepy and so happy for sweet Cash.
God Bless her for opening her heart and home to Cash. He will live out the rest of his life with a mom who loves him and cares for all his special needs.
Yipppppeeee for Cash!
What a wonderful story! Thank you for posting this. We are soooo happy for Cash – and his new mom!
We love this story so much!!!!!!
What a GREAT story! Love it love it love it!
Woo hoo! another senior cat’s got adopted, Purrs Minxy
Amazing!!!!!!!!!! We are so happy you have a loving home for your twilight years…God bless you and make your time there magical.
CASH! WE ARE SO HAPPY YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL AND LOVING FOREVER HOME!!
YOUR MOM ROCKS!! CASH IS A LUCKY NAME! HEHE
I am tearing up with happy tears for Cash and for his new mama. It is so wonderful to get a happy story… one like this for this beautiful cat. Thanks Best Friends@!
I’m so happy for Cash ! I wish him many year’s.
We are sooooo happee that Cashie have hiz verree ownz mommee now he not sharing wif a buncha other kitteez! Ana grate beeg personbeddie an a big warm ladey to snuggle up dare wif all nite long! We wantz to know wut Cashie think uv having a DOGGIE sibling!
Our mommee food ladey jus’ finished raisin six leetle babee kitteez an fore uv dem havz FIV now. Dey iz waitin to havz anuvver FIV antibody blud test at six munfs an maybe again at eight munfs old to see if dey haz cleared da virus cuz mosta da timez da leetle babeez hoo gotz it frum dere mommeez will clear dat virus an not hab doze mean ol FIV viruses in dere leetle boddeez. Den dey jus a regaler kitteez! Not sick any more at all! So we hopin an hopin rite now dat be true!
So, evreebuddee, don’t EVER let dat FIV stop you frum adoptin a leetle one! Or a beeg one! Itz mostlee passed by dose grate big intact males fightin an bitin! Do lotsa research an you will find dat FIV isn’t scaree an more eazee to pass to utherz like FeLV iz an iznt horrible like FIP iz! An ALWAYZ spay an nooter da leetle wunz an beeg wunz TOO!
Our mommee hadda kittee, Mamie the Muffin, hoo livd fur ten hole yearz in da best uv health too wif FeLV an her friendie Unkle Dave hadda kittee fur 15 yearz wif FIV! Wow!
Luv an Kissez,
Lilibet Squeekietoy, Billi Bi, da Twinneez (Charlie Longtail & Teddy Monkeytail), Tallulah, Little Jack (he da babeez hoo tested FIV positive) & Dolly (she feral)
Way to go, bro! Hope we are the next big adoption story from Best Friends. But seriously, dude, this is awesome.
Purrrrzzzzz
The B Boyz
WOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yay!! This story made me tear up.
There’s nothing quite like adopting an older pet — they are so happy to have a forever home and repay your kindness many times over!
YAY for Cash and Momma Lee!!!
We read this story in Best Friend’s magazine, it was heartwarming the first time around, and even better the second time! Concats Cash! We are so happy fur you!
i wus lucky last yeer, i wundered onto dis place and da lady put food out fur me and water and she talked to me lots a times. Dis went on all dat winter and i aint never had such an esy time. I actuly gots chubby! ’cause i have short little legs and short bod i showd it all too. The food lady and I had lots n lots of alks n she got good at talking my language – sorta. She and the big guy who lived thar too had anuthr cat too, him is called Boo or BooBoo. He is nice big old tabby boy. Wul, cum sprng i jus decides one day i like it here n i thinks I’ll stay- so i let the food lady touch me, oh it felt so good.
She combed and brushed me and talked to me fur hours that day. I rubs her and lays in her arms n she calls me Shadow n say how she luvs me ovr and ovr n i lets her know i luvs her too.
Boo Boo cums out lookin me ovr and she tells him be good boy Boo, dis is My Shadow n i hopes he is gunna be your brufer. So we looks each otha over good, ‘course we’d seen each other frum fur away.
Boo goes in the open thingy called a door and her asks me to cum in – well, she’s been callin me by name all winter and saying to me come on Shdow, comon – so i did it! Oh my her wus so happy. She put lots a food out that night and next day i cums in agin and used the box thing with sum kind a sand in it to potty in – her culdnt believs it I used the indoor plumbing she said!! So i stayed. Like ole Cashie I’m one happy boy kitty in my furever and ever home! Me n Boo are bestes furiends an we is always together.
I like dis rescue story ’bouts Cash, pur old guy he had to wait so long fur a forever home and I gots one da first winter after my fur mommy left me. Aint i one lucky little chubby boy? Yu Bets!!
Makes me realise how blessed I’ve been having a pawsome furever home and a family that loves me all my life. It just proves you should never give up hope.
What a wonderful and heartwarming story. We are so thrilled for Cash and Lee.
I am so happy for cash. I am purring that more senior kitties get adopted! We are pawsitively wonderful
Thizza izza beeYouTeeFull ending and da start of new life fur Cash! I salut Signorina Lee fur being a speshule purrson.
My Frankie Lee was an old beaten-up tom cat that my middle-aged tabby brought home. My vet told me he tested positive for FIV and wanted to euthanize him. NO WAY! Everybody loved Frankie and he’d never hurt a fly. Frankie is the grandpa of the tribe, and so gentle and sweet. He’s our oooey-gooey love muffin and the only one who will sit in my lap. Good luck to all the FIV+ cats out there; may Cash and Frankie’s luck rub off on you.
That is so heartwarming I am so glad that they keep up hoping that cash would find a home instead of putting him to sleep. Me and my jinx are so happy that he found a home after all these years every animal no matter how young or old deserves a good home.
Hey, over here! Over here! I’m FIV+ too. I’m about 3 years old, big, healthy, loving to people, really good with other cats. Adopt me! ADOPT ME!
…..OHHH & Congratulations Cash! That is just the best ever and I hear through the grapevine you are blossoming in your new home.
My turn??? My turn???
What do you mean I’m too needy. I just want to be in somebody’s arms all the time. that’s needy?