Cat celebrates sweet 16 in loving home

Have you ever attended a cat birthday party? If not, we highly recommend it. There’s nothing quite as joyful as seeing a family celebrate their beloved pet — and nothing quite as funny as watching that pet remain completely unfazed. That was the case for Misty’s sweet 16. This unbothered queen simply lapped up her Churu, acting as though it was totally normal for people to sing and applaud when she entered a room. Even if she didn’t show it in that moment, Misty adored those humans standing around her who had made her part of their family.

This gray-and-white cat with a cute black nose came to the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in Los Angeles from a shelter several hours away. Misty is a pet who could have easily been at risk of being killed in a shelter, especially if that shelter were already full and struggling to save younger, healthy dogs and cats. Best Friends’ goal is for all shelters to reach no-kill in 2025, and that means working together with other animal welfare organizations to give pets what they need to move out of shelters and into homes.

After the medical team took care of her needs, Misty went to foster care where she could get lots of TLC until she could be matched with a home of her own. Despite being sweet and gentle, potential adopters often overlooked her because of her age.

[Unforgettable 18-year-old cat goes home]

Misty visited several foster families during her time with Best Friends, and each one adored her company. Her foster caregivers described Misty as an affectionate lap lover who was also independent and up front about what she wanted (especially when it came to food). This senior lady’s favorite activity was snoozing, but she did enjoy birdwatching and even running around the house in occasional bursts of kitten energy.

When Misty came to stay with Best Friends foster volunteer Jon Larsen, it would be the last stop on her journey. Jon saw beyond her age and immediately recognized what a special cat she was. Before long, his family decided to make it official and adopt her.

So what is Misty up to nowadays? You could say she’s semiretired. When she’s not supervising her humans’ computer work, you can probably find her lounging in a cozy bed or dining on fine china. She also makes sure each family member gets enough cuddle time, making them a batch of biscuits before settling down to snuggle.

[Sweet senior cat wins the heart of loving adopter]

We don’t know how Misty celebrated her previous 15 birthdays, but we have a feeling this was her best one yet. She didn’t even need to blow out a candle to get her wish: She was already home.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill in 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.