Lady Penelope and her brother Hendrix brought happiness to Bermondsey housemates who wanted to give a home to older cats.

Alice and Alexandra, both aged 26, were searching the Cats Protection website for new pets, in March 2022. With so many cats up for adoption, they were a little overwhelmed, but then they were drawn to a pair of siblings at the charity’s Harrow Homing Centre.

Sixteen-year-old mature moggies Hendrix and Kala (now renamed Lady Penelope) were described as affectionate and their photos showed two sweet, fluffy cats.

On average, older cats in the charity’s care wait three times longer to find homes than their younger counterparts, despite having great qualities that make them the perfect pet for some. Thankfully, luck was in for Hendrix and Kala as the women were not put off their age.

Alice said: “Actually, we were looking to adopt older cats because we wanted to be able to give them a great retirement and these two had such lovely photos and descriptions.

“I asked the team at Cats Protection if they knew of any underlying health problems and they didn’t seem to have any. It’s natural to want to know if you’re adopting an older cat, of course. But I wasn’t concerned as, being a vet myself, I knew I would be well placed to help them, if anything did arise.”

One thing they did not need to worry about was if the pair of mature moggies would settle into their new home, as Alice explained: “From day one, they were king and queen of the house,’ Alice said..

“On the first night, Hendrix was already on my bed and snuggled on the pillow next to me. It has become his favourite spot now and whenever the sun is out, that is where he will be. They’ve settled in remarkably quickly.

“Since then, it’s gone from good to even better. I love coming home to them after work. They follow us around the house all the time. They are very loving, gentle and sweet cats.”

Older cats come with a lifetime of experience as well as characters that have been formed through the years. Getting to know these cats can be part of the fun.

“The more time we spend with them, the more we enjoy finding out little things about their personalities. They’re two distinct individuals.

“Hendrix is very inquisitive. You cannot do anything without him being involved. If I’m working on my computer he will have one paw on my hand. If I make dinner, he wants to have a sniff before I am allowed to eat it. He loves attention and if we are distracted or busy, he reaches out his paw, tapping out a gentle reminder that he’s there and wants a gentle stroke. It’s very sweet. He’s also obsessed with sitting on my lap or on the bed making biscuits.

“Lady Penelope is a little more introverted but if you show any sign of giving her a stroke she purrs her head off. I haven’t heard such a loud purr.

“She looks quiet, but she has become the bossy one and will happily nudge Hendrix from their food if she thinks it is her turn. The next moment she’ll be all sweetness and giving you little licks, which is very sweet. She’s a little charmer. Just don’t let her near hairbands; she seems to consider them her arch enemy and fights with them all the time.”

Cats Protection champions senior cats with its annual Mature Moggies Day (16 June), when the charity highlights the benefits and shares myth-busting advice and support for anyone considering adopting an older cat.

Lydia Sawyer, Manager at Cats Protection’s Harrow Homing Centre, said: “Older cats are much harder to home than cute kittens. People can be concerned about health issues or believe they’re not as loving or playful as younger cats. While some can have ailments, our team of vets monitor and can advise on the best care for cats that we home.”

Cats who have lived a life often come with character traits and personality quirks, which is what makes them so appealing, according to Alice and Alexandra.

Alice said: “They are both very inquisitive and love people watching. Our curtains are covered in their fur because they squeeze through any gap to watch people passing by on the street.

“We recently let them explore the garden a bit and, for a 16-year-old cat, we were very surprised that Lady Penelope could scale a six foot fence with impressive ease.”

Older cats often need a little extra care and attention as they enter their twilight years, but there are lots of ways to help a cat continue to be healthy and happy. Mature moggies also come with plus points, too.

Alice said: “There are so many benefits of adopting an older cat. They are already litter trained, for a start. It made us so happy to bring them home from the cattery and allow them to have a comfortable, quiet, much-loved life for however long they might have.

“They are also very easy to look after because older cats sleep for most of the day. It’s as if they become even more cat. When we work from home, they’re upstairs all day sleeping, so it’s nice to know that when we do have to go to work, they’re relaxed and fine.

“We just love them so much – they’re both very sweet, gentle creatures and we already feel that they love us as much as we love them.

Cats Protection has produced a guide on how to care for elderly cats, including behaviour to look out for, recommended food types and how to ensure they’re comfortable at home.

For advice on caring for older cats, visit: www.cats.org.uk/mature-moggies