Italian Woman Leaves $13Million To Her Cat

Maria Assunta was the wealthy widow of
an Italian property tycoon. She passed
away two weeks ago at age 94. What
makes Assunta's passing so unique is all of
her fortune was left to her 4-year-old
cat , Tommaso, according to ABC News.
The cat inherited $13 million in real
estate and cash.
Assunta had no children. When her health
started to fail in 2009 she
bequeathed her estate to Tommaso.
Italian law prohibits animals, such as
pets, from a direct inheritance , states
the New York Daily News.
Assunta could not find a satisfactory
animal shelter to care for her cat
when she passed away.
Instead, her nurse Stefania took care of
them until her passing. Stefania
and Tommaso are living in an undisclosed
location away from potential
kidnappers and avoiding con artists. The
cat is not the first to inherit a
huge fortune.
Blackie $13 Million
Blackie's owner, Ben Rea, died in 1988.
Rea's $13 million estate went to
his beloved cat and other cat charities in
the U.K. His relatives were not
too pleased with the decision, according to
The Pet Gazette.
Beryl Reid's cats -- $1.8 Million
British comedic actress Beryl Reid died in
1996. In her later years she
began adopting stray cats at her home in
Berkshire , England, reports The
Independent. Coco, Boon, Hamish, Eileen
and Tuffnel acquired a fortune of $1.8
million. Reid designated friends to look
after her cats.
Red -- $1.3 Million
TV NZ News reports Canadian David
Harper, a bachelor and recluse,
died in March 2005. Harper left all of his
fortune, 1.3 million Canadian
dollars, to his cat, Red. The United Church
of Canada makes sure to care
for Red's needs such as food and
veterinarian bills for the rest of his
life.
Tinker $226,000
Margaret Layne was 89 and acquired an
8-year-old cat named Tinker.
Layne did not have any children,
according to BBC News. When she died in
2002, she left her North London home and
a trust fund to Tinker. Layne's neighbors,
Ann and Eugene Wheatley, are the
designated
caretakers of Tinker's home and overall
care. Other cats from the
neighborhood are enjoying Tinker's
comfortable lifestyle.
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