When Angela Rafuse BComm’16 first stepped onto Saint Mary’s University’s campus, she immediately felt at home.
“I grew up on the South Shore. I’m very proud to be from Chester,” she said. “I loved that everything was in one city block. For a small-town girl who hadn’t spent much time in Halifax, it felt safe and close-knit.”
She graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Global Business Management, carrying with her not only her degree, but a network of lifelong friends. “The friendships I made at SMU are everything. I’ve gone to their weddings. I’m now an aunt to their children. When I started My Grandfather’s Cat, I reached out to a lot of my friends from SMU.” These connections helped shape her not-for-profit in more ways than one, including web development, accounting and even establishing a board of directors.
“My friends and I still wear our SMU rings whenever we go out. I’m very proud to have gone there.”
The cat that started it all
After university, Angela’s career took her to Toronto, where she was working in marketing and communications for the Salvation Army’s national team. She loved the fast-paced learning and the sense of purpose that comes with working in not-for-profit organizations. Then, life changed with one phone call: her beloved grandfather passed away.
Her first thought wasn’t about logistics. It was about his cat, Mackenzie.
“She was 14, grumpy and didn’t like anyone except my grandparents,” she said, smiling. “My grandfather had even put money aside for her care. I just couldn’t imagine her going to a shelter.”
Determined to help, Angela told her parents she’d take Mackenzie, even if it meant flying her to Toronto. As fate would have it, just two weeks later, she was offered a position with the organization’s Maritime division, bringing her back home to Nova Scotia. “It felt like a sign.”
Then came the pandemic. With lockdowns in place and work shifting online, Angela and Mackenzie found themselves spending every day together. “Out of boredom, I started making TikToks,” she laughed. “I didn’t realize how it worked, that anyone could see them. Suddenly, people were asking, ‘Why did you name your cat Mackenzie?’ and I’d reply, ‘She’s not my cat. She’s my grandfather’s cat.’”
That simple reply sparked something bigger than she could have ever imagined. “People started commenting, saying they’d been through the same thing – a loved one passed away, and they didn’t know what happened to their pet. So I started researching and realized that there wasn’t an organization that helps seniors rehome their pets before they move or pass away. I thought, ‘Why is nobody doing this?’’”
Turning grief into good
On May 18, 2021 – her grandfather’s birthday – Angela launched My Grandfather’s Cat. “When a loved one passes away, their birthday becomes a sad day. This gave us a way to celebrate. It’s not sad anymore.”
The concept is simple: connect seniors or individuals with terminal illnesses who can no longer care for their pets with compassionate adopters. It’s built on the idea that both people and animals deserve dignity, love and continuity. “We don’t focus on the sad parts. We celebrate the good. The cats are in their second forever homes, and the seniors know their animals are okay. That’s what’s important to us.”
In just a few years, My Grandfather’s Cat has grown far beyond a pandemic passion project. The charity has facilitated hundreds of adoptions, built a vibrant online community and inspired people around the world to take small, meaningful actions of kindness.
Still, Angela remains grounded. “I’m just a girl who took her grandfather’s cat. I’ve learned everything by doing and surrounding myself with the right people who share my passion for it. When I’m really down, I read the comments on our milestone posts and people celebrating with us. Sometimes the community keeps me going.”
That belief now echoes in every adoption story her organization helps create, in the seniors who find comfort knowing their pets are cared for and in the hundreds of cats who have found new homes because one young alumna decided to take a chance on an idea born from love.
Lessons in leadership
Running My Grandfather's Cat full-time hasn’t been easy. For the first two years, Angela balanced running the charity with her day job. “People say, ‘If you have a dream, quit your job and go for it.’ But you can’t pay rent in dreams. I had to do both. Running a charity full-time was a huge risk, and there wasn’t much money in the bank account, but I shifted my whole skill set to this. I’m thankful it worked, and I’m thankful people believe in it.”
That pragmatic optimism – part humility, part hustle – defines her leadership style. “To me, the entrepreneurial mindset isn’t about quitting everything and hoping for the best. It’s about doing what you love responsibly, trusting your instincts and learning as you go.”
Her advice to young alumni or current students? “Surround yourself with people who believe in you and then stop caring what anyone else thinks. If you have an idea that lights you up, follow that instinct.”
Full-circle moments
Today, Angela’s days are filled with emails, partnerships, adoption stories and a sense of gratitude that the work she does truly matters. And when she puts on her Saint Mary’s ring, she remembers where that belief began.
“Saint Mary’s will always be the first place I believed in myself. The place that taught me that I could do something more.”
This story was featured in the Fall edition of the Maroon + White alumni magazine. Visit the online magazine to read more alumni stories!