Senior stray animals have often gone through a lot in their lives. These animals may have spent their whole lives as strays, or in some sad cases, they were abandoned when their medical bills got too high. Thankfully, though, there are people who care enough to open their homes and hearts to these animals.

Barnaby, a stray cat in New Jersey, was lucky enough to find one of these people.This little cat was really in rough shape.Barnaby had a bad eye and was incredibly malnourished. He was totally alone and was a “senior citizen” as far as cats go.At 15 years old, there weren’t a lot of people who were willing to help the cat in need. Thankfully, Voorhees Animal Orphanage stepped in to help him.

Barnaby was given the food that he needed, a warm place to sleep off the streets, and water.
When the shelter took a closer look at him, they realized that the likelihood of Barnaby getting adopted was very slim. He needed a lot of medical attention and special love.

For many prospective adopters, this was a bit too much to ask. For tough adoption cases like Barnaby, it takes a special person to help.

All of a sudden, Dr. Ed Sheehan and his wife, Clare, called the shelter and asked for some more information on the senior cat. They wanted to help treat the cat in need at their own clinic. Would they be interested in helping him get a forever home, too?

After Ed and Barnaby met, it was a perfect match. There are some matches that just make sense!


When Ed and the senior kitty met for the first time they connected in a way that only a pet owner can know. Barnaby couldn’t help but make Ed smile and laugh. After helping treat the cat, Ed knew that he couldn’t live life without him.

The offer for help soon turned into a match made in kitty heaven.


Ed decided that Barnaby was such an incredible cat that he didn’t want to live without him! He officially adopted the senior cat and brought him into his home.

Soon, however, everyone noticed a change in Barnaby. Spending some time with someone who cared had an interesting effect on Barnaby.

After being adopted, Barnaby started to act like a whole new cat!
He was happy, healthy, and cared for for the first time in his life! It seemed to have a magical effect on the cat and he seemed to shed years off of his life. Having someone care for you might just be the best medicine for a broken heart.


There are many senior cats that need our help. We can do our part by adopting older pets or simply just making them comfortable as they get older. That’s just what Dr. Ed did for Barnaby.

Dr. Ed made sure the rest of Barnaby’s life was happy. He passed over the rainbow bridge as a cat who had known so much love and care.