Where do cats go when they’re old? If they’re lucky, the can wind up at a place like NatCat, a dedicated retirement center for cats. NatCat was founded by the late C. Richard Calore. Started in 1968 in Long Beach, the shelter moved to Newport Beach in 1993 and later opened a Spring Valley (outside of San Diego) facility in 1975.

Always a cat lover, Calore rededicated his life to feline protection and humane education in tribute to a “courageous cat” who arrived in his World War II foxhole during a frigid night, befriending, warming and revitalizing him.

Since his 1988 death, his widow, Gerri, has carried on the cat retirement center in honor of her late husband. NatCat’s two shelters depend entirely on private donations, bequests and fees for adoption and retirement services. To learn more about NatCat, read more here.