Terry Lauerman: ‘Cat grandpa’ caught snuggling with special-needs shelter cats goes viral.
A Wisconsin man who volunteers by brushing and napping with special-needs shelter cats has gone viral after the facility posted photos of some of his cuddle buddies.
Terry Lauerman, who has been nicknamed “the cat grandpa,” has had a lifelong love for felines, the Green Bay Press Gazette reported.
“I’ve always liked cats and I always had cats when I was kid, and I loved them,” he told the newspaper. “In many ways, I see my old cats in these cats here.”
Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary Inc., in Green Bay, posted photos of Terry and the cats onto Facebook Tuesday, and the post had more than 67,000 likes and 18,000 shares as of Friday afternoon.
“He also accidentally falls asleep most days. We don’t mind – Cats need this! Terry is a wonderful volunteer,” Safe Haven wrote in the post.
The shelter, which opened in 2016, rescues cats with disabilities from facilities that could euthanize them, Buzzfeed News reported. The nonprofit doubles as a cat cafe, housing between 20 and 30 cats at at time. Nearly 300 cats have been adopted since it’s opened.
Terry has gone to the shelter six days a week for the past several months to brush the furry friends.
Elizabeth Feldhausen, Safe Haven’s founder, said Terry is an expert cat brusher.
“He is able to get cats that normally don’t like to be touched to jump up on his lap and want to be held and brushed,” she said. “He knows all of their names and all of their personalities.”
Terry said he hoped people who saw the story would consider donating to Safe Haven. People have done just that, having raised more than $20,000 in a two-day span.
Those interested in helping can donate on the shelter’s website or make a purchase on Safe Haven’s Amazon wish list.
