Realistic Cats Give Seniors A Chance For Pet Partners They Might Not Otherwise Have
DAVIS (CBS13) — For seniors who don't have the option of a companion pet in their lives, there's an alternative that will help bring a little love into their lives.
It may look and sound like a real cat, but the Hasbro Joy For All Companion Pet is geared toward seniors to help ease the pain of not having pets around. Some reasons include illness, where they live, or if they're just not able to care for pets on their own.
UC Davis Dr. Melissa Bain agrees the bond between humans and animals is important, especially in older adults.
"As people get older their relationships with their pets do become more important especially as their contemporaries pass away family members move away,they're living alone now a days they do become more closely bonded," she said.
While it doesn't replace adopting a real pet that truly needs a home, it could be a good low-maintenance alternative.
"For people with dementia, difficulty remembering to feed themselves, let alone their pets, it wouldn't harm this toy if they forgot about it for awhile," she said.
Roxy and Henrietta both live in Eskaton Natomas Manor. They're both lifelong animal lovers, but Henrietta's allergies and where they live mean they can't have a real pet. They say they companion pet could be helpful even for long hospital stays.
The pet runs around $100 and doesn't need fed.
