I visited the assisted living facilities this week, and it was kind of an odd visit. I didn’t see many of my regulars, and a lot of residents were slumped over, napping. Some were talking to themselves. Hardly anyone acknowledged me when I came into the big room.
The one resident who did notice me right away was the loud guy who always wants to see me. So we went over so he could pet me. I did see a couple of the newer people who were awake, and they enjoyed seeing me a lot. One was a man in a wheelchair with sad, soulful eyes. Another was a woman who smiled when she petted me.
One of the sleeping residents was a regular of ours. My human knows she really likes me, even though she never says anything. In fact, she seems to be nonverbal. Since we finished seeing other residents pretty quickly, my human sat us on the sofa near her to see if she would wake up. And eventually she did! She was really happy to see me, and my human let me pet her for a long time.
At the end of our visit to the first house, we saw the woman who loves cats shuffling into the big room. As soon as she sat down, we went over to her so she could visit with me. She was so happy to see me. She used to recognize me when I came to visit but now she has to ask my human for my name every time. One thing she never forgets is how much she loves kitties.
The second house was more lively than the first, which was also odd because usually it’s the other way around. A couple of women were so happy to see me! One woman was in a wheelchair and called me “short stuff.” My human wanted to give her more time with me, but there wasn’t anywhere for me to sit next to her, and she didn’t really have a lap. But she was next to the dining room, so my human fetched one of those chairs and sat me next to her for a better visit. One thing the human half of a therapy cat team needs to know is how to improvise.
Even if it was a quiet and strange visit, I’m still always glad I get to see the residents.
Other posts you’ll enjoy:
Fun and Strange Times at the Assisted Living Facility
High Fives and Head Butts at the Assisted Living Houses
Sometimes the Quiet Therapy Cat Visits are the Best
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I had an odd visit at the assisted living residences this week. But it was still good!
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