old

We absolutely adore senior pets, for so many reasons. 

1. They're the ultimate love bugs. They can express their love and gratitude so deeply, it makes our eyes water just thinking about it. 

2. They are a part of us, our senior pets have been there for us time and time again. When all else around you might seem hectic and hopeless, you can always count on them to be there. 

3. Everything. There's something so special about our senior pets, all their quirks, and unique markings. We can spot our pets out of a lineup of all the pets in the world, that's how much we know them and their hearts. 

Share a picture with us of your senior love bug in the comments below. And if you're looking for more senior pets to gush over, look no further! 

Time to give love to an adorable senior cat, and the internet has taken this task very seriously. Meet Steve, an 18-year-old cat who cries if his owner takes his sweater off him. Aaaand cue the 'aww's. 

He's an adorable cat who's cuddly, clingy, chill, and derpy all in the best ways, and we're totally in love with him. Thank you, rosytroll, for introducing this gorgeous cat to the internet, and thank you to the internet for making Steve go viral. We are so happy to meet him. He seems like the bestest of all best senior cats, and we wish him many more years of joy and warm sweaters. 

It is claimed that elephants never forget. And we hope that's true especially for these elephants at the Thailand sanctuary, Elephant World, home to older elephants. 

Paul Barton, a classical pianist, has been sharing his talents with a rather large audience these days. And when we say "large," we mean it literally. Barton has been spending most of his time playing his beautiful music for the gentle giants of the elephant sanctuary. 

He first heard about the elephants when his wife discovered the sanctuary online. Barton explains in a video, "We liked the sound of the place being a retirement center for old, injured and handicapped former logging and trekking elephants. So we paid them a visit. I wondered if these old rescue elephants might like to listen to some slow classical music."

Barton reached out to the staff at Elephant World to see if he can bring his piano and serenade the elephants. The staff said yes. 

The first time Barton began to play for the elephants, one blind elephant, was in the midst of eating breakfast and stopped the second he heard the music. Barton had played Beethoven.

Barton continues to explain in a video,  "[He] was often in pain, and I like to think maybe the soothing the music gave him some comfort in the darkness," Barton tells CBS News that this elephant was the first to take to his music.  The musician said this was the first elephant to really take to his music. The gentle giant later died of an infection, sadly. Barton was heartbroken to hear the news. 

Barton continues to play for these old gentle giant, hoping the music soothes their soul. Even if the an elephant is blind, they don't need to see to hear and feel the music Barton is playing just for them. 

His owner Michele Heritage of Exeter, England, confirmed the news, telling South West News Service that Rubble died before reaching his milestone 32nd birthday, which would have been in May.

The cat who lives 31 years, the equivalent of 150 human years, had no specific health issues but became 'very thin' and died of old age. 

Michele got Rubble as a kitten for her 20th birthday, in May 1988, and they have been together ever since: "He was part of a litter of cats that my sister's friend had and I had just left home. I was lonely living on my own, so I got him in as a kitten". she told SWNS.

When asked about the fluffy Maine coon' long life, she credited it to her pet parenting, doting on the animal as if he was her own son, as she hasn't had kids of her own. She also recounted Rubble's final days, sharing that the pet deteriorated "very quickly toward the end."

RIP, dear Rubble. 

Shout out to senior animals everywhere! We absolutely adore senior pets and they deserve a spotlight of their own!

Senior pets are so kind, so gently, and honestly, they're kind of just perfect. They've been with you for years and are loyal, they simply love so much that it sometimes makes our eyes water just thinking about it! 

And if you're looking to adopt, you should consider adopting a senior. Don't overlook them because of their age -- they have so much character! 

Happy birthday, Rubble! And here's to many, many more! This time last year, Rubble made headlines as he turned 30 years ago and became officially noted as the oldest living cat in the world! And now, a year has come and gone and Rubble remains strong. 

Yesterday's Print is a cool page on tumblr which presents a collection of weird and funny old photographs, historic newspaper clippings and baffling headlines taken from the past. We have compiled the best ones concerning animals. 

All three videos are more than a century old and they are actually the oldest known video footage of various animals.   

This generosity makes our hearts as warm as a kitten in a knitted blanket.

Old is Gold!

There are few things more heartbreaking than seeing an elderly canine shivering in the unfamiliar confines of a shelter or watching an old dog being callously dropped off at a pound because its owner no longer wants it. But, sadly, it happens every day. For many of these elderly dogs, the stop at the shelter will be the end of the line. Most potential adopters are looking for a puppy or a very young canine, not a graying senior. Thankfully, though, there are a few angels in the world — people like Steve Greig — who purposefully seek out senior dogs for adoption. Via: The Dodo

How many youtubers do you know that entered their 11th decade?