I got to have a therapy cat visit with my assisted living pals this week. Lots of my regulars were in the big room. As soon as I got there, one of them welcomed me right away and I sat down on the couch next to her. On the other side of the couch was the woman who used to love my visits, but who doesn’t recognize me anymore. She was slumped down, asleep. While the other woman was petting me, I waved my tail over the sleeping lady’s arm. She gently petted it and I wonder if she was dreaming of the cats she had a long time ago.
Next I saw the woman who loves my high fives and enjoyed visiting with her. And then I saw the lady who can’t walk but who likes to sit on the couch instead of a wheelchair. I’ve been visiting with both of them for a long time, and if they have dementia, it doesn’t seem like it has progressed much. My human is glad for that. It makes her sad to see some of the residents worsen.
Then we saw the nonverbal woman with heavy hands. The moment she saw me, she held out her arms. So I spent lots and lots of time with her. Even though she never speaks when we visit, I know she is one of my biggest fans.
One resident we saw who I don’t think I’ve visited before was a very elderly, toothless lady. And she was so happy to spend time with me! I had such a nice time with her.
While we were visiting, one of the staff members followed us around with an iPad to take photos of the residents with me. It’s so nice that they record these happy memories for the residents. Because I want them to remember me for as long as they can.
