Lots of our residents at Oaklands have owned cats during their lifetime, and in support of International Cat Day, we wanted to try and bring back that feeling that their beloved pets had once given them. And whilst our therapy cats aren’t actually the real thing, they come a very close second. The cats “Purr”, “Breath”, “Meow”, raise their feet and swish their tails in the same manner as a real cat. Our residents stroked, brushed, and chatted to our furry friends, creating a warm feeling of wellbeing. They could all remember the names of their feline buddies and chatted together about their experiences of pet ownership.
Other residents enjoyed a multiple choice cat quiz, which threw out some very interesting facts: did you know there are 500 million domestic cats in the world and another 100 million wild cats; humans have been living with cats for 10,000 years since the end of the last Ice Age; a group of cats is called a clowder; cats have 30 teeth, can run up to 30 mph, and jump seven times their own height (that’s like a human jumping over the high diving board at a swimming pool!)
