our story

our mission

My Grandfather’s Cat is dedicated to helping seniors and terminally ill people keep their pets up until the very last day possible. We provide a free rehoming service that helps those we serve arrange second forever homes for their pets. Rather than housing animals in a foster system, we arrange for them to move directly from their home into a second forever home.

We believe that animals provide an immense amount of comfort and companionship to seniors and terminally ill people. That’s why we provide additional programs, such as our pet pantry and resource guide, to ensure those we serve have the means they need to care for their pets.

Our organization was founded on May 18, 2021.

our purpose

My Grandfather’s Cat exists to provide a safe way for seniors and terminally ill people to arrange second forever homes for their pets. Through our programs and initiatives, we help seniors keep their pets as long as possible to provide comfort and companionship.

how we got started

In December 2019, our founder’s grandfather passed away in hospital while waiting to be admitted into a retirement home. One of the reasons he did not put his name on the list sooner was because he had been caring for her grandmother’s 14 year-old cat, Mackenzie, since she passed away.

At the time, Mackie was known for being an a mean, grumpy cat, and everyone in our family hesitated to adopt her. Knowing the options were either to adopt her or take her to a shelter, she chose to adopt her.

Over the next year, she learned that Mackenzie may appear to be aggressive, but she is truly a loving and adventurous cat with just a bit of an attitude. Through sharing videos of her on TikTok, she heard countless stories of how many seniors worried about what would happen to their pets when they moved to a retirement home or, heaven forbid, passed away. 

Without family or friends to take their animals, these seniors feared that their animals would live out their remaining days in a shelter. It was the same fear her grandfather had.

She knew she had the skills and abilities to create a service to help. So, she founded My Grandfather’s Cat on May 18, 2021, her grandfather’s birthday.

Since then, the organization has continued to grow beyond a rehoming service. We operate our rehoming service across Canada, offer a pet pantry and provide resources to help those who adopt through us. We also work to educate on how important pets are to seniors, and how animals provide vital comfort and companionship to their humans in their very last days.