You know what I want to do to make money? Nap with kittens. But Terry Laurmen is already doing that -- without even meaning to.
When the 75-year-old former high school Spanish teacher started stopping by the Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary in Green Bay, Wis., he just wanted to donate his time by grooming the cats with his special brush. The shelter concentrates on the rehabilitation of cats with special needs and other physical problems.
Laurmen started frequenting the shelter more and more until he was an official volunteer, and as 75-year-old men tend to do, he fell asleep a few times with cats in his lap. The fact that he soothed the cats enough to sleep with him is actually an important step of their rehabilitation, so napping on the job was not only allowed, but encouraged.
Elizabeth Feldhausen, the founder of the facility, saw an opportunity for a cute photo op.
“He has this special brush, and he is able to get cats that normally don't like to be touched to jump up on his lap and want to be held and brushed,” she said. “He knows all of their names and all of their personalities.”
Little did she know that the photos of Laurmen’s cat naps, so to speak, would go viral and generate thousands of dollars in donations to the shelter. Turns out, people love seeing the feel-good photos of this man dozing with cats in need and think that if Laurmen can donate his time like this, then they can donate some cash.
“People have been donating $1, $2 or $5,” Feldhausen said.
Laurmen's cuddle sessions with the shelter cats, including his favorite, Louis, has not only motivated over $30,000 in donations, but the cats are getting adopted even faster.
The newly dubbed “Cat Grandpa” told CNN and the Green Bay Press Gazette that he enjoys visiting Safe Haven because they work on an open concept plan and he bonds easily with the kitties.
“They don't have cages and I much prefer socializing the cats in a more natural situation,” Laurmen said. “I've always liked cats and I always had cats when I was kid, and I loved them. In many ways, I see my old cats in these cats here.”