Meet Oreo, a rescue cat with a big job

[haiducii]

Oreo, a former-stray cat, kept showing up day after day outside a nursing home in Cleveland, Ohio. The staff and residents at St. Augustine Health Ministries took it as a sign and welcomed the cat indoors. Since then, she has become a permanent volunteer, always eager to help out at the reception desk. Or snuggle up to the residents.

“She’s like the family here. She helps the residents, she helps the employees, and we just love her,” Carmen Delgado, receptionist, told Cleveland.com, in the video below.

“Most of the people we serve here had pets… so to have Oreo here, for them to be able to come out and pet the cat and see how the cat is doing… it brings a lot of laughter, smiles, those feelings of home,” Dana Carns, the director of advancement, said.

Oreo is a wonderful addition to “the staff.” She encourages many of the residents to come out of their rooms, sometimes when it’s not always easy for them to do so, and visit with her. She is happy to distract them with her sweet, purring disposition.

While it was the nursing home that gave Oreo her forever home, it’s Oreo who is happy to earn her keep by bringing smiles and comfort to everyone she greets.

 

[anarren]

That's great. I used to work in a hospice where we had a big, goofy golden retriever named Lobo who helped comfort the patients.

 

[dale72]

What a heart-warming story -- thanks for posting. Beautiful little cat.

 

[brmstn69]

Several of our area nursing homes have cats and dogs "on staff". We even have one that has like 5 cats, 3 dogs, and a dozen or so birds...

 

[Shelter]

My Grand-Dad is 94, he cannot leave his home anymore and he will forget so much and so quick. He always asks for his wife (she died years ago). But he and my Buddy are the real best friends. My Buddy loves it to lay his head onto his knees and he fondled his head - and both are overjoyed. And if Buddy is licking his hand, his eyes are shining and gleaming.

Yes animals will give old people inner peace. And I hatde it if someonw will declare that animals are only "things".

And here look at this kitten - I think she is more helpful than any pills.

 

[slimjim]

Several of our area nursing homes have cats and dogs "on staff". We even have one that has like 5 cats, 3 dogs, and a dozen or so birds...

Same here in UK... I think this home in Germany might have gone over-the-top slightly

 

[Shelter]

Same here in UK... I think this home in Germany might have gone over-the-top slightly

Perhaps you are right. But as the young lady in this clip said, the Alpacas are very, very empathetic, very quiet and friendly to the people. And I think that's all old and/or ill persons need. Sure it is right that these animals are no lapdogs - but they give their love as well. But sure it is requiring getting used to see such big animals in an old-peoples home or in an elevator.

But everything what can help to make a better day there shall be ok. :blushing:

 

[gorgik9]

My Grand-Dad is 94, he cannot leave his home anymore and he will forget so much and so quick. He always asks for his wife (she died years ago). But he and my Buddy are the real best friends. My Buddy loves it to lay his head onto his knees and he fondled his head - and both are overjoyed. And if Buddy is licking his hand, his eyes are shining and gleaming.

Yes animals will give old people inner peace. And I hatde it if someonw will declare that animals are only "things".

And here look at this kitten - I think she is more helpful than any pills.

The guy who originally declared what you hate - "that animals are only "things"" - was René Descartes in chapter 5 of his immensly influential treatise Discours de la méthode, published in 1637, where he pontificated that an animal - ANY KIND of animal - is a soulless automaton, and that the human rational soul is the only soul there is in the universe.

There are many reasons why I'm not a fan of Cartesian philosophy. This is one of the reasons, and a pretty important one.

 

[brmstn69]

Same here in UK... I think this home in Germany might have gone over-the-top slightly

Um... Yeah...
Since the animals live and run free (except the birds in cages) in the facilities here and are not led by attendants on leashes, they are limited to a size less likely to cause injury to the elderly if they get exited or scared. Don't want grandma run over by a reindeer... Or alpaca as the case may be.

 

[zachak]

Great cat!

 

[Stonecold]

thanks for posting such a great story.