California man marries beloved cat after spending lockdown with feline, says 'we got very close since my breakup'
A California man married his cat after spending the last two months with her in quarantine. He apparently married the cat to raise money for the Los Angeles animal shelter that brought them together.
Scott Perry had adopted his cat, Olivia, from the Best Friends Animal Society Los Angeles in 2015 with his then-girlfriend. The cat and the man quickly grew inseparable after his breakup a year later, according to People.
In his wedding nuptials, he revealed that Olivia, then a two-year-old medium-hair feline, had initially been very shy and hid under the furniture all the time but emerged from her shell after his split from his girlfriend. The five years since have flown by and the quarantine strengthened the feeling that he wanted to up his commitment to her, Perry said. So, he decided to pop the question on his front porch and took Olivia's meow in response as a yes.
While the feel-good wedding undoubtedly brought joy to many during these troubling times, Perry shared that the real reason they were tying the knot was to raise money for Best Friends Animal Society.
"With the two of us locked down for the crisis, we decided to take the leap and make it official, by offering the world a bright spot to all the bad news out there and to raise money for the very place we met, Best Friends Animal Society," the invite read.
He created a hilarious wedding website on Zola to stress that the nuptials are not to be taken too seriously. A section titled 'True Love Furrever!' leads users to the main website, where guests and fans can access a link to their registry. Here, they can leave a message for the couple and donate to Best Friends.
In another section called 'Things To Do,' Perry makes it clear that the wedding was a virtual one and anyone supporting their cause should "STAY HOME" and "SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH LOVED ONES."
He said he did not discriminate as far as invitations were concerned and that everyone had been welcome. Those interested had to RSVP on the website and then catch it on his Instagram Live on Saturday, May 23. The goal, he revealed, was to raise $5,000 for the animal shelter.
He also encouraged animal lovers to donate to the local animal rescues they love and said the wedding was a celebration of the joy a shelter pet like Olivia can bring into one's life.
"My kitty has helped me stay sane during this lockdown," he told People. "Pets allow us to have a warm, positive interaction with another living creature while we have to maintain distance from others. And I am sure that our furry friends have helped millions of others cope with this situation worldwide."
"The impact of the work that shelters have done is immeasurable," he continued. "They provide safety to animals and happiness to families throughout the year, especially when we are smack dab in the middle of kitten season."
Best Friends Animal Society Los Angeles said they were not aware of Perry's plans to raise funds for them and said that, while they could see the humor in what he was doing, they did not endorse "weddings" between pets and people.