Meet Bobby Knight, the superhero of sick cats in Greenville. Bobby, a 55-year-young man from Greenville, has made a name for himself nursing sick kittens and cats back to health.
He is not just a dear friend to all the Greenville cat advocates but also a savior for the furry felines.
But, Bobby’s journey was not all sunshine and rainbows. In 2009, he had to retire due to health issues that left him battling depression and feeling useless.
That’s when a friend of his invited him to tag along with her to Greenville County Animal Care (GCACS), known for being a high intake and high kill shelter for cats. Bobby saw how short-staffed the shelter was on foster parents and asked how he could help.
Susan Bufano, a wonderful cat advocate, explained the situation to him and soon discovered that Bobby’s gift was caring for sick cats and kittens.
Bobby started taking the sick cats and kittens home and nursed them back to health. Once they were healthy enough, they were either up for adoption or went to a rescue for their forever home.
Bobby’s babies have found homes all over the United States, and he gets regular updates on their progress. Though he gets overwhelmed at times, the joy of seeing his babies getting adopted or rescued puts him back on top of the world again.
Bobby’s work doesn’t stop at nursing the cats back to health. He also recognizes the problems that the shelters face.
The shelter is always short of foster parents, and people keep coming with unwanted kittens or to drop off cats they no longer want without any excuse.
Bobby is pushing for Greenville to have a better TNR program to curb the stray cat population. Recently, Greenville got approval for the Free Roaming Cat Program, and they will report back to Greenville County Council in a year with information on the program’s success.
Bobby has a special message for his former charges, the kittens, saying, “I would like to thank the hundreds of kittens I have fostered for helping me beat my depression and feeling useless. I have received a lot of kitty love for the last five years.”
Bobby Knight is a true inspiration, and we hope his work and message continue to spread.
