robotic cats. How very sweet.❤

My grandmother had Alzheimer's and she'd be okay during the day but would get very agitated at night. She always had cats and I'll bet this would've really helped her.

...and when the kitty meowed, my dog got up off his lazy arse and had to investigate! Ehehheheh

Has to be a wonderful gift for you!! What a nice thing you did for your Mom!! I’m glad she is loving her new kitty!! That’s just precious!

Sometime our conversations are a little strained because she doesn't have much to say, but she was so animated tonight talking about her new cat.

When my Mother-in-law was in a nursing home they had two cats - named Xanax and Benzo- who would make their rounds every day to every patient. Every once in a while, you'd see them cuddled up and an elderly patients lap. The nurses said they were the best therapy for the patients and wished they could have more in the facility.

My mother lives in an assisted living facility several miles from my sister's house. My sister brings a parrot for visits several times a week. My mother has lost a lot of memories--for example, she doesn't remember that dad died a year and a half ago--but I don't think she will ever lose her love for animals.

The residents and staff loved them and they didn't "bother" patients whose curtains were drawn around the bed.

I would share a video of my mom petting the robotic cat except I don't want to violate her privacy. But it is so heartwarming.

It was about $100 which is out of reach for a lot of people, but if you have the money it brings great joy to someone with dementia.

She often talked about how much she loved having babies.

Does anyone know who sells these robotic cats and how I can purchase one??

They have their own website and are also available via Amazon. They have a robotic dog, too.

I thought about getting one for my kitty, who had multiple litters before coming to me and being neutered and who misses them, I think.

my Mom. Nothing like seeing their face light up. In my case, it was bringing her some Christmas cookies...

Last edited Fri Dec 20, 2019, 10:21 PM - Edit history (1)

You've been one of my favorite DUers for years, and I've appreciated your being so open about having dementia ever since you first started talking about it here. I see some signs of it encroaching in myself, so you give me hope.

I have already told my son (and mentioned it again earlier this evening when we spoke) that if he ever has to put me in a nursing home be sure to find one with resident cats. By the time I was three years old I was dragging home stray cats, making my mother, who did not like cats, quite crazy. I can't imagine I could get so senile I wouldn't still love cats.

Hopefully, I will get to choose my own nursing home, but son has been told.

Right now I have no cats because my life is such that it would be completely irresponsible of me to have even a potted plant. Well, a friend did give me a poinsettia last week, and I will do my best to keep it alive as long as possible, but I travel a lot, and have two two week long trips coming up in the spring, so unless my neighbor is willing to adopt the poinsettia, that may be the end for it.

Of course to me, those cats don't look quite real, but it clearly doesn't matter to the residents, which is the most important thing.

That two cats must be twins! And with bodies not so rigid...
And eyes that close when purring...the company needs to hire me for product development!!!

I think that says a lot about how deep our need is for connection, nurturing and touch right up to the end of our lives.

Real cats typically weigh at least 8-10 lbs, so the sensation of weight would add to the realism. But maybe it doesn't matter; the softness and purring are probably enough. Both the concept and the execution are brilliant and I'm glad to see these robocats are giving people some joy in situations where there might not be much of it. If I had a lot of money I'd buy a bunch of them and donate them to memory care homes.

My mother in law has alzheimer's, and my wife bought her one of those robotic cats, too. It was very cute the way she would play with it, and...cutest of all...when she was watching TV she'd position the cat on her lap so it could watch TV too. <3

Not that she has Alzheimer's, of course, but that the robotic cat is helping her as well. It helps them connect to their best, most nurturing selves, I think.

Paz

apparently there's enough evidence that the robotic pets are so helpful for people with dementia that either Medicare or MSHO (the Minnesota program for low income seniors) will pay for them. I'm sorry I can't remember which program will pay. As of now though, they will only pay for 1 "pet" in a lifetime so if it needs to be replaced, it's out of pocket.

Just like a living pet, they can calm the individual, give them something to focus on and to interact with.

That's fantastic that there's financial assistance for buying them.

It truly makes me smile 😊.

You are right, this is the best gift ever!

Thanks for sharing this story...now I’m crying... but it’s a kind of happy crying.

I had no idea my OP would touch so many people. I thought it might help a few people in the elder care group; didn't expect it to go to the greatest page. It goes to show you how many people have or have had loved ones with dementia--and how beautiful it is to see that loved one be able to express love and feel touch, even with a robot.

I am so glad it has helped your mom. I live in an over 55 community, and I know so many people who have Dementia. One woman in particular has an absolute love of animals. I am going to check into getting one of these for her.

It might depend on what level of dementia she has, but even if she doesn't think it's real, you could tell her it's like a pillow but shaped like a cat, since she likes cats so much. It's also possible to mute them.

and they have a golden retriever puppy. Their last dog was a golden retriever. I'm going to talk to her husband and see what he thinks. If he thinks it will help, I'm buying it for them.

Their next door neighbor has a small dog, and I know he lets the dog go over to visit her. This might be an absolutely ideal gift for her. I cannot wait to call her husband tomorrow and ask him.

That golden retriever puppy robot is really well done. I almost got it for my mother because she's always loved both dogs and cats.

I never knew these things existed. I would love to put some money away every month, and just keep buying these dogs and cats and donating them to people who need them.

She really enjoyed them.

Thanks so much for letting me know--it means a lot.

It's a wonderful idea to spread to others as well. Thank you for sharing this.

They are perverse
I've fed this one for years and he still disdains me.

dog bounces by the front door: oh, boy! oh, boy! oh, boy! they're home.

cat laying on the couch: who's that?

I like cats because they are independent.

I like dogs because they are loyal.

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This articles is headed out to the email list.

My friend's mother will love the dog version!

I've been stewing on what to get my mom (dementia and in assisted living) and this may be the perfect thing! I've never heard of these, but the videos look like it would be perfect for her. Thank you so much for posting!!

my mom opened the box, saw her cat and was so excited! What a wonderful gift! she actually cried!
Thank you for sharing your story!!

That's beautiful. Thanks for letting me know!

I purchased one for her about three years ago and she fell in love immediately. Pets it and talks to it all day long. You can turn off the mewing (it does get annoying) but the cat still purrs -- and strangely rolls back which caused issues at first because it would get stuck like that. It can also be turned off, but I like the purring and the slight movements.

Mom no longer lives with me, so recently I thought her cat was looking a little "ratty" so I bought her a new one. When I brought it, the older cat looked like new (so must have had a bath), so now she has her kitty and her roommate (another lovely lady) also has one. They all love the cats.

Originally I bought her a realistic baby doll that moved and made noises. At the time (3-yrs ago) she was mildly anxious because she thought it needed feeding, or worried about it, so I decided that wasn't a great fit. Just depends on the person, so give it a try. So worth it to bring her some happiness and unconditional love

and gives her something to nurture. And for us adult children, it keeps visible our parents' loving natures.

the nursing home. The Alzheimer's ward immediately got another one, and I was asked dozens of times by residents elsewhere in the nursing home, who didn't have Alzheimer's, and by their families, where they could get a robot cat. Children visiting the nursing home loved it, too.

https://www.amazon.com/Innovation-Companion-Lifelike-Realistic-Companionship/dp/B017JQQ01A

I'm glad that they are making such a difference to people in memory care, and your experience is reassuring me that this will continue to bring happiness and comfort to my mother; that the novelty won't wear off.

This is the first I heard of these robotic cats. The videos are heartwarming.

I haven't heard any stories of people not appreciating them. I don't know how advanced your mother's Alzheimer's or dementia is, but if she doesn't think it's a cat, you could call it a pillow that looks like a cat. That is actually what my sister told my mother, but my mother didn't pay attention to that. Within a few minutes she was positioning it on her lap to make the cat more comfortable. And by the first evening, she told me she'd had the cat for days, that it was six months old, that it has the run of the house but doesn't run very much, which she appreciates, and that she wasn't sure if it was a boy or a girl. But my mother had already started to invent realities. She'll often tell me what she and Dad did that day, even though he died over a year ago.

It was the gift that stole Christmas. She named it Dolly. When we were in the kitchen preparing food, I looked in and she was nuzzling it with her nose.

My mom asked me last night if I could hear her cat purring over the phone.

I saved the box because I was so certain she would reject it. It brought others in the family to her to talk about the cat and that made conversation easier for her. Best $100 I ever spent. Thank you. Would not have known about this except for seeing your post that day and wanting to do something.

when you can fit modern technology in with everyday life.

baby dolls. Most of the women seemed to come alive. The held the babies and rocked the babies and cooed to the babies. Some of the women even cried over the babies -it was really a heart-warming site to see...

I didn’t know about robotic cats! Sounds like a wonderful gift! Where do you get them? Educate me!

Here's the Joy for All website:https://joyforall.com/products/companion-cats

And Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017JQQ01A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I asked my mom about the cat this evening. She says it's quiet and doesn't run around much, but very loving with a big purr. Now she says she's had it since it was only six or seven days old. We have it set to purr but not to meow.

What a great gift for your mom. Thanks for the info!