^ Thank you for the positive comments.
Our residents are only allowed in the home if they have been diagnosed with advanced dementia. There are a couple of residents, who lived in the home when it was for elderly people and do not have dementia, but who elected to stay with the newer arrangement. A spectrum of behaviours can be displayed, from those who seem pretty good to those who can be very bewildered. A number of residents can remember the names of the cats, and there is one who says she is allergic to cats but cannot resist them (like myself), except that she does resist them. We also have a number who have had a lifetime of living with pets and whose families encourage them to pet the cats, but who, when left to their own devices, do not pay much attention to the cats. The crux of the matter really is that many of those with dementia, despite a lifetime with animals, do not have the memory to relate to them in any depth. What they can do is feel 'homely' because the animals are around as they would have been in their 'own' (previous) homes.
We have a recent lady resident, who astonishingly was a fighter pilot, and still has enough enduring interest in cats to seek out their company. At first, they were a bit wary and Tiggy bit or scratched her, but they are getting used to her now. At one point in the day, today, she was putting her face close to Tiggy and the deputy manager was worried in case she got bitten, although she was okay . . . this time. Both cats will sit on the settee or a comfy chair next to this lady, if not on her lap. Crafty little things that they are, the moggies will follow the visitors who encourage their loved one to pet them.
One of the residents, who does not have dementia, will tap a chair leg with his stick to drive away a cat esconced on his chair, although the same cat will sit with him in the 'quiet room' - a little sitting room, like one in a house. When petting dogs, or visitors' dogs, are brought in he will stroke them. This morning the residents had a coffee morning in the forum and a young cleaner briefly brought in her little three-year-old daughter. Many of the residents were entranced by her presence. So, although they can be indifferent to the home cats, they come alive with dogs and small children!
First thing this morning, there was no sign of the cats as one of the night staff had brought in her dog, a gentle black labrador. Eventually, Tiggie could be spotted behind the settees in the forum and later Kizzie came running into the office, wide eyed and looking over her shoulder, as if being chased. She jumped up onto the worktop and sat between the monitor and keyboard. After a bit of fuss, she settled down in the intray, which is covered in a towel for her comfort. Nevertheless, she kept staring at the doorway as if there was something out there. There was nothing at all and the dog had long since gone home, so whether there was something else or it was a continued reaction I am not sure. With more tickling and stroking she settled and stayed for most of the day. If I left the office, she either slept or followed me. By the time I went home, she was on one of the comfy chairs between the units.
On seeing Tiggy, the real milk lover, first, I gave her a saucer of cat milk, but she could take it or leave it and left some behind. Later I gave some to Kizzie, who can take or leave real milk, and she absolutely loved it, to the extent that she got through three saucer fulls. She continued to lap as if she was going to lick the white off the saucer, but I decided I would give her more later. Another member of staff fed the cats their favourite fish-flavoured Whiskas and Go-Cat biscuits, in the afternoon, so I decided they would not need any more milk. It is in the fridge for tomorrow.
I have photocopied the staff board photos of the cats and will eventually scan them, upload them to a hosting site and post them here. This may take a while, as TincPics, an image hosting site, won't let me back in. It would be quicker if I could upload pictures from my phone with Samsung Keys, but the software has not worked since I switched to a computer with Windows 10. Life is complicated, unless you are a cat.
