We didn’t think we’d have another cat, once our daughter went off to school and hers had passed away.  However, when we brought Mother to our home from hers 275 miles away, hubby Jim suggested we bring her cat, too, instead of trying to find another home for it.

This proved a great help in getting Mother readjusted to being away from the home where she had lived for many years.  It took the cat longer to get adjusted than Mother, but finally she accepted our home.

Pet therapy often is beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients.  Sometimes it’s their own pet, sometimes a new pet, and often a visiting pet…especially in a nursing home.  Nowadays a number of cats and dogs are trained as therapy pets who visit assisted living and nursing homes.

Read more about this topic at Minding Our Elders.