Levi and Pops

Levi and Pops Lounge on the Bed

Who wants an old fat cat?

Better yet, who would want two of them?

Levi and Pops were a couple of older guys who made a brief stop in life at Kitty City, and they definitely were not the most sleek or handsome fellows. They were rather nondescript gray tabbies, but with wonderful mellow personalities.

But the most special thing about them was that these middle-aged charmers had spent half their lives in a career that few cats would choose: they were blood donors at the Emergency Vet Clinic. That means that countless pets all around Cabarrus County added another life to the usual nine because the vet techs went to the back room, where the blood donors hang out waiting for their call, and pulled life-saving plasma from cats like Levi and Pops.

At age 7, felines age out of the donor program and have to find a new home. With so many adorable kittens frisking around, it can be tough placing an older cat. And not only was Kitty City dedicated to finding absolutely perfect homes for the bachelor buddies – but we also wanted to place them together so they could live out their years reminiscing about their experiences working in ER.

During their stay with us, the boys developed such a fan club of new friends who came in regularly to check on them and scratch their chins! Even now, months after they moved on, the fan club requires updates and pictures to be sure they are happy.

Of course there is a happy ending to this story: the perfect home appeared in the form of Peggy Lingle, who works with the most famous blood donor agency of all, the Red Cross. Maybe Peggy had a deeper appreciation of creatures who regularly gave blood. Or maybe she’s just an excellent judge of character and knew these personalities were a rare mix of good humor and quiet manners.

We’re just hoping they can become poster boys, or at least inspiration, for humans to endure that little prick in the arm that means all the difference in the world to someone who needs help.

And that they’re true evidence that the good life begins at middle age.