Wisconsin’s viral 'Cat Napper' is living every cat lover’s dream

At an animal shelter in Green Bay, a retired volunteer is living every cat lover’s — and nap lover’s — dream.

For seven years, 82-year-old former Spanish teacher Terry Lauerman has been donating his time to Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary. The shelter is dedicated to rescuing cats and dogs with special needs and disabilities. Terry’s specialty? Lying down and snoozing with the shelter’s cats.

“When you get old, you fall asleep easily, so it’s natural,” Lauerman told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.”

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Photos of Terry practicing his signature skill went viral online in 2018. He was featured on CBS Evening News and was the focus of a mini-documentary.

Terry’s new fame generated widespread support for the shelter, with fans donating more than $60,000 in one week.

Now, years later, people around the world are still discovering Terry and supporting the shelter with donations of money and pet supplies.

How he became an internet sensation was, and still is, a wonder to Lauerman.

“Oh my gosh, all I’m doing is sleeping with a cat, and I’m all over the world,” Lauerman said.

An elderly man sleeping in a brown leather armchair with a remote on the armrest and a tabby cat curled up on his lap. — Terry Lauerman practicing his specialty as a volunteer at Safe Haven: napping with the cats. *Photo courtesy Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary*

The Green Bay ‘Cat Napper’ volunteers in his sleep

Growing up, Lauerman always had cats in his family. But as he went to college and got a job teaching Spanish, he didn’t have any cats in his life. Decades went by. According to Lauerman, he had basically no contact with cats from 1960 until he retired at the age of 65.

Terry decided he wanted to do something fun with his new free time. He started volunteering at local humane societies. Then he heard about Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary, a free-roam shelter that serves cats with special needs.

“At previous shelters where I worked, the cats were in cages,” Lauerman said. “(Here) you can interact with the cats, you can pet them, you can feed them — you can do all sorts of things, and it’s more of a home-like situation. That’s why I like it here.”

An older man wearing a face mask sits on a couch surrounded by several cats in a cozy room with brick walls and wooden floors. — Terry Lauerman sits on a couch with the cats living at Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary. *Photo courtesy Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary*

Safe Haven founder and CEO Elizabeth Feldhausen said that Lauerman stood out as a new volunteer.

“He didn’t talk very much. We barely knew each other, and then he just started falling asleep all over the place,” Feldhausen said.

Lauerman started snoozing on couches and chairs in the shelter, joined by cats piled on his lap, in his arms and anywhere else they could fit.

“I just snapped the picture and put up something cute on social media. Suddenly, a day later, Terry went viral,” Feldhausen said.

An older man is lying on a green couch with his eyes closed, resting his head on his hand. A gray cat is sleeping on his legs. A cat tree and a brush are visible nearby.

An older man sits on a gray couch with a cat on his lap in a cozy room. Another person and cat are visible in the background.

The three photos Safe Haven posted to Facebook that launched Lauerman into internet fame in September of 2018. Photos courtesy Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary

The shelter started getting flooded with donations and positive messages. Lauerman started getting emails from people around the world. He earned the nicknames “Cat Grandpa” and “Cat Napper.”

Many of Terry’s fans expressed a desire to follow in Lauerman’s footsteps in their own retirement. For those people, Terry has some advice.

“Whatever seems to interest you, go after it and fill your free time with something fun and helpful for other people.”

An older man stands in a grassy field holding a shovel. He wears glasses and a Best Cat Grandpa t-shirt. Yellow wildflowers and tall grasses surround him. Trees are in the background. — In addition to volunteering at Safe Haven, Terry Lauerman also spends his mornings doing ecological projects in his community. *Photo courtesy Elizabeth Feldhausen*

Getting close and letting go of furry friends

Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary rescues cats and dogs with special needs, including physical disabilities, chronic illnesses and special behavioral needs due to a history of neglect or abuse.

“(We’re) somewhere where they can go that is peaceful and psychologically beneficial for them to recover in a home-like environment, so that they could avoid being euthanized in other overcrowded shelters,” Feldhausen said.

Feldhausen said that one of the best ways to help the shelter is by donating money or supplies like litter and food. If people don’t have the resources to donate, she said spreading the word and sharing their posts is helpful as well. And, they’re always looking for volunteers like Lauerman.

An elderly man naps in a chair with his arm resting on his head, while a small dog and a black-and-white cat lie on his lap under a blue blanket. — Terry Lauerman falls asleep sitting up with cats in his lap. *Photo courtesy Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary*

As a volunteer, Lauerman said he enjoys working with the special needs cats and especially semi-feral cats. He spends months earning their trust and bringing them out of their shell so that they can be adopted.

In most cases, treats are his greatest asset.

“They follow me around like the pied piper,” Lauerman said. “There’s one that we have over here, Lyla. She follows me around every day. I come to the door and she comes running on her two front paws because her back legs don’t work, and she’s always looking for treats from me.”

An older man sits at a table petting a ginger cat in a spacious room with minimal furniture, including chairs, a table, and a sofa in the background. — Terry Lauerman spends time with Lyla, a partially paralyzed cat at Safe Haven. *Photo courtesy Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary*

As Lauerman bonds with the cats, he can’t help but get attached.

“It’s very difficult to let a cat go once you have invested emotionally in (them), and it happens all the time. But no matter how many are adopted, there are always more that need attention,” Lauerman said.

Since Lauerman isn’t on social media, he relies on other shelter employees to show him pictures and updates on the cats after they get adopted. But he said, no matter how much he loved them, he would never go visit his old napping buddies.

“If I were visiting the cats that have been adopted that I like, I wouldn’t have any time to do anything else,” Lauerman said.