'Cat Grandpa' goes viral after animal shelter shares photos of volunteer resting with cats

Shelby Le Duc
Green Bay Press-Gazette
Terry Lauerman, volunteer at Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary Inc., brushes a cat at the non-profit organization's cat cafe Sept. 20, 2018 in downtown Green Bay, Wis. Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

GREEN BAY - A local man is taking cat naps to a whole new level.

Terry Lauerman of De Pere has become an online sensation this week after the pet shelter where he volunteers shared photos showing the 75-year-old — who has since been dubbed "The Cat Grandpa" — fast asleep while snuggling several of the shelter's cats.

"I've always liked cats and I always had cats when I was kid, and I loved them," he said. "In many ways, I see my old cats in these cats here." 

Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary Inc.'s Facebook post about Lauerman has garnered over 80,000 reactions and 22,000 shares since Tuesday afternoon — and those numbers continue to climb. The post also made its way onto social news sites like Reddit and BuzzFeed, and was covered Thursday by Good Morning America. 

Since posting the photos on the shelter's Facebook page, the organization's website has been flooded with new visitors and massive donations, Safe Haven founder Elizabeth Feldhausen said. In just four days, the shelter has raised more than $40,000. Its website temporarily crashed as its server reported nearly 1,000 people visiting the website per second. 

The cat rescue and cafe on Broadway exclusively takes in cats with special needs that would likely otherwise be euthanized.

Lauerman's naps with the cats happen frequently. Feldhausen said she and other shelter staffers have been collecting photos of the touching moments for a while and finally decided they were too special not to share. 

A special touch with a special brush

The story behind the pictures of Lauerman's snuggle sessions make them all the more precious, though. 

Nowadays, Lauerman is an official volunteer at the shelter, but his visits started out much more casually. 

Lauerman said he first came to know Safe Haven in 2016 at its previous location in De Pere. He said he immediately fell in love with the cats and the fact that the facility doesn't cage its animals. 

His visits to the shelter became a daily thing after the nonprofit relocated to Green Bay's Broadway District in 2017 and Lauerman retired from his career as a Spanish instructor.

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He said he wanted to do something fun, and volunteering at shelters was the perfect fit. He started out volunteering at other area shelters, but has since made himself at home at Safe Haven. 

Every Monday through Saturday, Lauerman swings by the shelter for two or three hours to visit the cats, pet them, feed them treats and, most importantly, brush them. 

Feldhausen considers Lauerman an expert cat brusher who is helping socialize cats that desperately need it. 

Elizabeth Feldhausen, founder of Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary Inc., sits with volunteer Terry Lauerman on Sept. 20, 2018 after announcing how many donations have been raised due to a photo of him napping with cats went viral online. Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

"He has this special brush," she said laughing. "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. He knows all of their names and all of their personalities." 

Lauerman said he enjoys brushing the cats because it's soothing for the animals and is an interaction in which they get something nice from a human, rather then abuse. Many of the cats at Safe Haven were rescued from neglectful situations.

Even though he is technically a volunteer, Lauerman said what he does at the shelter is the best job in the world and he gets paid in cuddles. 

He said he never would have thought photos of him sleeping with the cats would be so popular.

"I literally did nothing," he joked — adding his now famous naps are typically the aftermath of cutting down buckthorn trees before heading to the shelter. 

He and Feldhausen said they are thankful for everyone who has donated to the shelter. All of the funds, Feldhausen said, will go directly to the cats' medical bills, food and litter; cleaning supplies, and likely a project to better insulate the building.