TAMPA, Fla. — A retired Hillsborough County couple devotes their days to loving and caring for many other “seniors.”

Everyday heroes Bruce and Terry Jenkins make sure cats are king at their place in Lutz.

The Jenkins are the founders of Cats Cradle.

Call it a senior cat rescue, their home and grounds look more like a senior retirement center for felines.

Most of the cats are rescued from the shelter. often on death row and hours away from having their lives ended.

On average, there are about 30 cats who call this place home. Most of them are 15, 16 or 17 years old. The “senior” senior is the orange 23-year-old Garfield who loves to be in Bruce’s lap.

Terry says with these guys, it’s about more just than a meal. A lot more.

“They want more than food,” Bruce said. “They want and need love. these old cats have, in most cases, came from circumstance where they enjoyed a lot of love and then something happened.

“They lost their owner and suddenly their world turned upside down.”

Bruce and Terry retired from professional careers. Terry from the New York Yankees and Bruce from IBM.

Married 44 years, they adopted their children are now grown, a girl and then a boy from Korea.

They started their foundation in 2014 and the expenses were taken care of by the couple. Recently, it qualified to become a non-profit, and now they receive help from supporters that is greatly welcomed.

“These are guardian angels that help us every month, small amount,” Bruce said of receiving donations. “They sign up and they give us a little bit of money every month and gosh it helps.

“Spread the message of how loving senior cats are. don’t let them languish in the shelter. bring one home.

And if some call terry a crazy old cat lady?

“I definitely qualify,” she said. “And I would consider that title a badge of honor.”