21-Year-Old Cat Brothers Find a New Home After Desperate Plea: 'They Just Should Not Be in Rescue'

"Due to their age, we are keen to get these lovely boys settled into a new home asap," the RSPCA Northamptonshire Branch previously said

By Ashley Boucher

Published on October 12, 2020 11:07 PM

Two cats in the United Kingdom have hopefully found their fur-ever home to spend their golden years.

At 21 years old, the cats named Leon and Nikita have well surpassed the life expectancy of the average moggy. Sadly the elderly duo recently found themselves in need of a new home.

Over the weekend, the RSPCA Northamptonshire branch sent out a call to get the duo adopted in their "retirement" after the family they were with could not care for them.

"They are just such lovely cats and at 21-years-old they just should not be in rescue," Michelle Billingham, an animal care supervisor at the animal rescue, told the Northampton Chronicle & Echo.

"Due to their age, we are keen to get these lovely boys settled into a new home asap," the RSPCA said on its website. "Leon and Nikita are an affectionate pair who enjoy chin tickles and human company."

The RSPCA said that the cats would do best in a "quiet home with no children," and that Nikita had recently been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and requires blood tests over the next several weeks.

After hundreds of applicants, Leon and Nikita have found a new home to spend their sunset years, the Daily Mail reported Monday.

"It's been pretty crazy. We have had over 100 applications for them from all over the place, from America, Cornwall, and Cumbria," Julie Clifft with the RSPCA said to the outlet.

"Nikita has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and is stable but needs to stay close to his vet for checks," Clifft said. "We wanted to keep them within the local area but some people haven't read that bit. We really wanted to keep them together in Northamptonshire and we're delighted that has been possible."

Clifft, who works on the RSPCA adoption team, added to the Daily Mail that it's "great" the "popular" cats were adopted so quickly, "because although they are old we never put a healthy pet down and they deserved a new home."