INDIANA, Pa. (KDKA) - A cat got a second chance and landed the "purr-fect" new job after being surrendered to an Indiana County animal shelter by a local nursing home that closed.

The feline's story is shining a light on the differences animals can make in the lives of elderly people, especially those with Alzheimer's or cognitive decline.

George is not your typical staff member. The employee with whiskers and crooked ears specializes in providing emotional support to nursing home residents.

"He was surrendered by a nursing home that closed down locally. He came to us a couple of weeks ago. He was very shy, very quiet, very timid," said Alex Valeski, Four Footed Friends's executive director.

Valeski said while they cared for George at their shelter in Indiana, they noticed he wasn't ready for feline retirement.

"Every time we walked by the kennel, he was waiting by just giving a tiny little meow. Like, did someone come to pet me, so I could tell he was a little down about it," he said.

Alex posted on Facebook calling on all nursing homes to consider hiring George.

"We had a couple of nursing homes apply. He actually was pretty popular. But we went with the best fit and they were the first to apply," Valeski said.

The talented kitty was adopted and hired by Forest Hills Personal Care Home in the Sidman area of Cambria County. The facility run by Christine Weaver and her daughter Brielle Sokira specializes in animal therapy. They have lots of animal staff members including miniature horses, birds, and bunnies.

They both said they knew George would be a "purr-fect" fit, and he hit the ground running on day one.

"He just jumped right in literally right up on laps, loving cuddling, sleeping with them. It's just a wonderful thing to see. And you can tell it's his job," Weaver said.

"He does his rounds every morning and he goes room to room to room And whenever you can find them, we're like, well, he was in room 13, so he's probably in 15 now," Sokira said.

To show how much joy this sweet guy brings to the residents and staff. Valeski decided to make a video depicting George's story and posted it on the shelter's social media pages, and its been viewed over a million times on two platforms combined.

The hope is that this hard-working cat inspires other nursing homes to adopt a feline employee who can comfort their elderly residents.

"I think animals teach us that words aren't always necessary. And so when they just like their face lights up and their whole demeanor changes," said Sokira.

"There's a universal language when it comes to petting a bunny or a kitty or a horse. There's such a wonderful calming effect it brings them a peacefulness and also the whole idea of pets being involved in their physical surroundings gives them something to look forward to," Weaver said.