There’s a special bond between cat parents and their fur babies. That said, one cat mom in Florida went above and beyond when she left her $2.5 million estate and individual inheritances to her seven Persian cats.
Woman leaves estate and inheritances to Persian cats
According to USA Today, Nancy Sauer died at age 84 on Nov. 26, 2022, in Tampa. In her will, she gifted her estate to her cats: Cleopatra, Goldfinger, Leo, Midnight, Napoleon, Snowball, and Squeaky. Each fur baby may also receive an inheritance of an undisclosed amount.
Yana Alban, a friend of Sauer, told the Tampa Bay Times that the will stipulates that Sauer’s home should not be sold until all of the cats are dead. Her concern was the cats would be separated after her death and would struggle to adapt to new homes.
The cats lived in the luxe 4,000-square-foot home for six months. Unfortunately, a probate judge in Hillsborough County has ruled that the cats must find new homes with living parents.
Cats seeking forever homes
The Humane Society of Tampa Bay is also named in the will. However, at this time, the amount of the donation is still unknown. That organization’s executive director, Sherry Silk, agrees with the judge’s decision to rehome the cats. She told the Tampa Bay Times that it is not in the best interests of the cats to live alone in such a large house. Even though people checked in on the cats throughout the day, Silk believes the fur babies will fare better at the Humane Society, where they have lived for the past month.
“I am going to personally make sure that we can keep as many together as we can and that they go to the perfect house,” Silk said.
Whoever adopts the cats just might find themselves managing the fur babies’ inheritance, too. The inheritances are apparently “substantial” and “enough to cover the cats’ food, medical, and grooming bills forever,” according to Silk. “They’re young. They’re only five years old. Persians can be expensive and persnickety.”
Other cats with an inheritance
If this all sounds slightly ridiculous, well, it may be. But it isn’t uncommon. In 2019, designer Karl Lagerfeld died and left a substantial inheritance to his famous fur baby, Choupette.
If you’re a cat parent, you might want to consider discussing with an attorney how you can protect your fur baby’s financial interests in the event you pass away.
