Sherborne House residents welcomed a new addition to the home earlier this month – a Joy for All Companion Pet Cat.
Joy has certainly been a big hit with the residents. Many of them spend hours talking and interacting with her.
Joy is a wonderful robotic stuffed toy cat that is lifelike and engaging, as well as being cute and cuddly. Being battery-powered means that Joy can act and move like real cat when petted or hugged.
Research has linked animal assisted therapy to improvements in mood and quality of life for elderly people, especially those with dementia, for quite some time now. However, the research jury is still out on whether robotic pets are as effective as their flesh-and-blood counterparts. Nevertheless, having a few in Sherborne House has certainly had a positive effect on residents and their relatives during their visits.