There are endearing photos of my wife in the nursing home with a little dog on her lap – a black poodle. It was the dog of a caregiver who regularly took it to work. Much to the delight of my wife, who pampered the dog as if it were her own child.
Unfortunately, the dog suddenly died at home. We kept this a secret from my wife in consultation with the nurse. Because why upset her with an announcement that she would immediately forget?
But even though she never asked about the dog again, it is still a shame that she has to miss it. It is increasingly apparent that contact with animals has a therapeutic effect on people with dementia. It would give them distraction and make them less restless and insecure. By the way, research shows that interacting with animals can also have that effect on healthy people.
It is difficult for a nursing home to meet that need. All kinds of practical problems can arise with hygiene and unrest in the building. That is why I applaud the courageous initiative of the De Koperhorst residential care center in Amersfoort, where they started two years ago with a ‘cat room’. Three cats live there during the day in a room that is accessible to all residents. They can pet the animals and play with them. “It’s better to talk to them than to people,” says a resident in a video. In the evening, the cats are allowed to move freely through the building.
It would be ideal for my cat, because being cooped up with one half the day NRCcolumnist sighing and toiling away on his laptop is not all.
I hope that my wife can experience such a cat room in her own home again. I will be present at the opening to read a column written for that special occasion – if the cats don’t mind the attention being diverted from them for a while.
‘It’s better to talk to cats than to people’
I can imagine that cats in general would like to make some comments about this geriatric development. Because why are they suddenly so welcome in the nursing home, while they are increasingly excluded from the catering industry and supermarkets? They can be petted by our sick old people, but is there any entertainment in the café? I’d rather not anymore.
There are still special cat cafes where you can interact with cats, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep cats in regular cafes and restaurants. The time when you could laugh and play with the cat while sitting at a table waiting for your appointment seems to be over. The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority prohibits cats in areas where food is prepared. Understandable in itself, but who benefits from it? The mice. Last year, the NVWA had to close 75 businesses urgently due to the danger to public health posed by mice.
The cat that obediently climbs into its litter box three (sometimes five) a day has to make way for a dirty animal that pees and poops wherever it suits him/her. It’s not a screaming injustice, but it does meow.
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