Those who remember that first day when they brought their pet home may recall how excited they felt. With the anticipation of much fun and joy shared with a furry companion to come, who wouldn’t be? A family from Baltimore realized that there is no medicine better than love; their decision to adopt a hospice cat really paid off.
Chester the cat was adopted at the advanced age of 18, which is quite a feat for a cat.
Although Chester cannot tell us his tale, his story can be found on the Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter’s Facebook page, which we'll break down for you here.
The former stray used to amble around Baltimore City. One day, he chose to take a cat nap in front of a woman’s car, and no, it was not a parked car.
Luckily, she noticed the aged feline before stepping on the gas. She stepped out, picked up his weary body, and brought him straight to BARCS.
“Everyone there was heartbroken to think that perhaps homeless Chester’s actions were an attempt to give up,” Garner wrote.
When Garner and her family stopped by BARCS to drop off some donations, they heard about the weathered stray. Garner asked if she could see him, and before long realized an instant connection.
But this old cat had seen better days. He was bony, had an abrasion on his face, had patches of fur missing, kept sneezing, and suffered from an upper respiratory infection.
After a quick word with her husband, Garner decided to adopt the good old Chester. Due to Chester’s age and debilitated condition, the Garners were taking him home as a “hospice adoption.”
While the family didn’t expect Chester to live for more than a week or two, Chester survived to celebrate his 19th birthday … and then his 20th, 21st, and 22nd too. ...They didn’t see that coming.
Chester had no problems settling into his loving new forever home. He took a fancy to his owner’s son’s bed, and who says an old cat can’t chase stuffed mice? Chester proved he’s one big kitty cat that just loves to play, like the good old days.
Being of senior rank, Chester had no qualms about claiming the bed, which was once intended for the family’s 60-pound (approx. 27-kilogram) dog.
But every cat has his day ... yeah, the big day when all nine lives are exhausted. There came the time when Chester had to prove his mortality. He was just three months shy of his 23rd birthday when the Garners found him resting peacefully one Saturday, “having crossed over the rainbow bridge.”
Garner wrote: “While we took him home knowing he was our ‘hospice cat,’ we will forever be grateful that he loved us so much that he decided to stick around an extra 1,640 days.”
All Chester needed was a bit of love and affection to live his life to the fullest. Garner and her family have no doubt done a great job in alleviating his suffering, making those last days all the more sweeter.
