A 75-year-old animal shelter volunteer who brushes cats for hours on end has gone viral.
Donations have been pouring in after images of volunteer Terry Laurmen were posted on the Facebook page of the Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary in the US state of Wisconsin.
Terry Lauerman thanks people who have made donations. Source: Facebook
Mr Laurmen reportedly spends three hours a day brushing cats at the shelter.
In the first of three photos posted, Mr Laurmen is napping with a grey cat draped over his shins. In the second, a ginger cat is cradled under one arm. And in the third photo, a white cat with black markings is at his elbow observing him nap.
Internet traffic to the shelter's website caused a temporary crash, with nearly 1,000 people visiting per second, a local newspaper reported.
Creator of the animal shelter, 27-year-old Elizabeth Feldhausen said volunteers don't come better than Terry.
"We are so lucky to have a human like Terry," she said in a post thanking those who made donations.
The relationship started when Terry showed up one day six months ago, introduced himself and expressed a desire to brush the cats.
"Eventually it became everyday. He brushes all of the cats, and can tell you about all of their likes and dislikes.
"He also accidentally falls asleep most days. We don't mind - Cats need this! Terry is a wonderful volunteer."
The images of Terry napping with the cats have garnered 6,400 comments and 22,000 shares.
In a Facebook live video, Mr Laurmen thanked people for donating money to the shelter and said he is shocked by how much fame he now has online.
"Well, it’s the craziest thing in the world," he said in the video.
"I fall asleep a lot. But I never thought this was going to happen with any circumstance like this."
According to the shelter, photos of Mr Lauerman and the cats have inspired poetry and prompted calls from people asking him to run for president.
The Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary describes itself as the first non-profit cat sanctuary that specialises in rescuing cats with physical or psychological disabilities.
"It helps them a lot to be socialised," Ms Feldhausen told Upworthy. "So we’ve set it up in a way as to be psychologically pleasing to these animals who have been through so much."
