ANIMALS
Kind 72-Year-Old Woman Spends All Her Time to Help Cats with Disabilities
Are there cat lovers here? Surely, you enjoy hanging out with your adorable four-legged pals. But have you ever met someone who’s devoted their whole life to helping cats?
Meet Suellen Duga, an amazing 72-year-old woman. Her life is all about supporting disabled cats. She turned her home into a safe place for kitties in need and is currently taking care of 12 rescued cats with disabilities.
Each of these cats has their own special challenges: Julie deals with cerebral hypoplasia, Buddy is blind, Roo, an uncommon male calico cat, can’t use his front legs, and Cory has a dislocated hip. Two other kitties under Suellen’s care are fighting Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and the rest need special treatments and regular vet visits.
Even with their challenges, these lucky cats have a caring and loving home, all thanks to Suellen. But this isn’t her first time rescuing cats.
Suellen’s love for cats has been a lifelong passion, and her journey as a cat rescuer started in the 1970s. One day, she discovered newborn kittens in the bushes near her building, with no mom cat around. Unable to leave them alone, she bravely decided to take them in and give them the care they desperately needed.
The kittens were really tiny, needing care all day and night. Suellen worked hard, feeding them with a clean nasal spray bottle and doing everything she could to keep them alive. She even brought them into her city office building, taking a risk with her job just to look after them.
She recalled, “I wasn’t fooling anyone, actually; everybody knew they were there, but no one turned me into management.”
With lots of love, care, and hard work, the kittens not only made it through but also became a permanent part of Suellen’s heart and home.
After running a local natural food store with her husband for twenty years, Suellen felt a desire for something different. In 2007, she started volunteering with the Westfield Homeless Cat Project. It wasn’t an easy job, but her commitment to helping cats had no limits.
She explained, “There were cages piled on top of each other from the concrete floor up. For an old woman to be on her hands and knees on a cold concrete floor was admittedly not the best way to do things, but I felt strongly about helping the cats.”
Her dedication led her to take on the role of adoption coordinator for the shelter. While Suellen cared deeply for all cats, those with disabilities were especially dear to her heart. Unfortunately, these cats often didn’t catch the attention of potential adopters and were frequently brought back to the shelter shortly after being adopted. “I just could not stand to see that happen over and over,” she said.
So, Suellen had a great idea—she decided to welcome disabled cats into her home. A lot of the 12 cats she looks after were originally meant to be fostered temporarily but ended up staying permanently. Suellen has made thoughtful adjustments to her home to meet the special needs of her beloved feline friends.
Even though she’s in her 70s, she doesn’t want to take it easy. When she’s not taking care of her cats, she works a night job to help pay for their considerable vet bills.
As for her age, Suellen has a plan set up. She has a $5,000 life insurance policy to make sure her cats get the care they need in case she passes away before them.
“I almost hope I do because their losses are so devastating to me – the worst thing ever. I love them all so much,” she expressed.
Suellen’s amazing story inspires cat lovers everywhere, encouraging them to lend a hand to cats in need, especially those with disabilities who might be overlooked by potential adopters.