Friend to the Felines: SMU Alumni Angela Rafuse
Written by Holly Morrison
@holly.morrison
Thumbnail and header photo by My Grandfather’s Cat
During the first Covid lockdown in March of 2020, people picked up many different hobbies. Some started baking, some started knitting, some got really into puzzles, but SMU alumni Angela Rafuse started a business. Originally from Nova Scotia, Rafuse was living in Toronto until the beginning of 2020, when she moved back in with her parents when the pandemic hit.
Her Canada-wide organization, called My Grandfather’s Cat (MGC), is a free adoption service for seniors and people who are terminally ill to adopt out their cats to new homes. In a lot of these cases, these cats can be more senior or, as Angela puts it, “spicy”, which can mean they are more difficult to adopt out. According to Humane Canada, around 60,000 cats entered shelters in 2020, with a good portion of them being senior cats (more specifically, cats over 10 years old).
The idea for this business came from Angela’s grandfather and his cat, Mackenzie. When her grandfather passed away, family members were hesitant to take in Mackenzie, who was known for her attitude, but Angela powered through to adopt and bond with the senior cat. For anyone who feels like they recognize Mackenzie, you probably do! Angela has been sharing her adventures with Mackenzie since 2020 on her TikTok, @angrafus3, where she and Adventure Cat Mackenzie have reached 630.1K followers to date.
Earlier this year, my own grandmother found herself in the same situation that MGC was made for; she was able to use MGC to adopt out her own spicy cat, Romeo, to a second loving forever home. Even before this, I was such a huge fan of the work Rafuse has done, so when I realized she was a SMU alumni, I knew I had to interview her. From her time at SMU, to her hopes for MGC in the future, here is what Rafuse had to say.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Q. Did you attend SMU with the intention to start your own business?
I did not! I enrolled in the bachelor of arts program with the goal of being a writer, as that's always been my passion. In my second year, I transferred to business as I was worried there wouldn't be jobs in that field. After graduating, I worked in marketing roles on the profit side for two years, then transitioned in marketing for a nonprofit, which is where I found my passion, gaining the skills and confidence to start My Grandfather's Cat.
Q. How has your time at SMU influenced the various parts of MGC?
During my time at SMU, I made incredible life-long friends who have become my best support system. These friends now work in the fields of marketing, accounting, computer science and law, and were able to bring the skills from their careers to help answer my questions when I first had the idea to start this company.
Q. What is the biggest takeaway you have from your time at SMU?
During my time at SMU, I learned that you can always make a change. You can change programs, majors, or even career paths. It's important to remember that you can make a change and give yourself the time and flexibility to find your passion.
Q. What influenced your decision to start MGC?
When my grandfather passed away, he left behind his 14-year-old cat, Mackenzie. I adopted her after learning there was no one else in our family who was able to. After sharing her on Tiktok, I learned that many families experience this situation and there wasn't a service to help seniors arrange a home for their pets before they pass away, so I created My Grandfather's Cat.
Q. What difficulties did you run into while starting an organization during the pandemic?
The hardest part of starting My Grandfather's Cat was the pressure I put on myself to not make mistakes, when in reality everyone is going to make mistakes when starting a business. It helps you learn, grow, and build a stronger company. The pandemic forced me to look at alternative digital solutions to help meet this need instead of looking towards a traditional shelter model. I believe the pandemic forced us all to look for alternatives to the ways we have traditionally done certain things.
Q. Your actual number of adoptions far exceeded your goal for the first year of MGC. How did you feel about such an accomplishment?
I am truly in awe of our accomplishments in our first year. We have built a strong, dedicated community of people who believe in the work we are doing. Since launching 15 months ago, we have completed 70 adoptions across Canada.
(Author’s note: MGC has now completed 80 adoptions throughout the country!)
Q. What is the most rewarding part of doing this work?
The most rewarding part for me is the comfort we provide to families that our service is an option for them. One time, a granddaughter reached out to us to help her find a home for her grandmother's cat after her parents were at a loss of what to do. She told them "It's okay, we can contact My Grandfather's Cat". It's just an amazing feeling knowing we are providing that level of comfort already.
Photo by My Grandfather’s Cat
Q. How do you hope to see MGC grow and expand in the future?
If you told me a year ago we'd be where we are today, I wouldn't believe you. I hope this organization continues to grow and spread awareness.
Q. How does it feel to have had this organization grow the way it has, including becoming a registered charity?
It's an incredible feeling of pride that I will never take for granted. Watching this company grow, bring people together and provide such a needed service has truly been the greatest joy of my life.
Q. What advice would you give to SMUdents looking to start their own business? General advice?
Whether you are looking to start a business or simply be happy in your career, I believe it's important to find a field that you are passionate about. Passion will lead to ideas and creativity that I personally found I didn't have in previous roles I wasn't passionate about.
With such amazing work done in only just over a year since the founding of MGC, it isn’t hard to imagine the places that this business will take both Angela and Mackenzie. Providing a service that so many need, yet so many others are not even aware of can be such a rewarding process. As Angela said in her interview, besides the adoption services offered by My Grandfather’s Cat, there is also awareness to be spread, not only for this service but also for senior cats, both in Canada and around the rest of the world. Pets are such an important part of their owners’ lives, and the fact that Angela and the volunteers at MGC are able to provide comfort to these pet parents at the end of their lives is indispensable.