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This grandpa takes catnaps at shelter, raises over $50,000 in donations

This grandpa takes catnaps at shelter, raises over $50,000 in donations

When a cat cuddles up and snoozes with you, it's a sign that you've earned their affection and trust.

And what's sweeter than a grandpa taking catnaps with his feline friends at a cat shelter?

Retired Spanish teacher, Terry Laurmen, 75, is dubbed "Cat Grandpa" after his photos went viral on Facebook recently.

He showed up with a cat brush at The Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary in Wisconsin, United States last year and asked if he could groom the cats.

"We are so lucky to have a human like Terry. He brushes all of the cats, and can tell you about all of their likes and dislikes," Feldhausen wrote in a Facebook post on Sept 19.

The cat shelter was set up by Elizabeth Feldhausen in 2016 to care for and rehome cats with disabilities and special needs.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/safehavengb/posts/945286912330240/[/embed]

As relaxing as it is to brush cats, grooming over 20 cats every day can get quite tiring.

On numerous occasions, Laurmen has been spotted accidentally falling asleep with the cats on a comfy sofa.

Without a computer or mobile phone, the elderly volunteer wasn't aware of his newfound fame.

"When I told him how many people had seen his post he was really, really happy," Feldhausen said.

Since then, the heartwarming photos have helped raise £30,000 (S$54,000) for the shelter and brought people to visit the cats.

"I could never believe that so much money would be raised by a simple picture," Laurmen said.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/CBSNews/videos/1963062157327395/[/embed]

The money will go towards upgrading and upsizing the shelter to take in and care for more vulnerable cats.

And those catnapping photos may just make their way into a calendar.

When asked if he would be comfortable with that idea, Laurmen said: "he'd do anything to raise money for them."

Spoken like a true cat lover indeed.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/safehavengb/posts/947449298780668/[/embed]

minlee@sph.com.sg

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