Today’s meeting of the new Mansion Robot Cat Club was the high point of my six or seven years of volunteering at this Medicaid Assisted Care Facility, one of the very few left operating in upstate New York.

Bonnie and Paryese asked the residents who have asked for and received lifelike robot cats to gather at my request for a group picture. These cats are not something most of the Mansion residents could ever afford.

They are deeply grateful to have them. I wanted the people who made it possible to see what they have done.

Bonnie and Paryese, the activity directors at the Mansion, said seeing how much these lifelike cats mean to the residents was astonishing.

“They just love them,” Bonnie said, “they carry them around, take care of them, talk to one another about them, sleep with them. They can’t stop talking about them; please accept thanks to you and the people who read your blog for these gifts.”

Bonnie said they are brightening lives, offering comfort, and even transforming the daily lives of the people who have them.

Claudia

I could see what she was talking about. Somehow, perhaps in ways I can’t understand, the people at the Mansion needed this.

They need to care for something, to be responsible for something, as they always were in their previous lives.

Not all of the cat recipients could be present.

Some were sick, others too weak to be photographed, one was at the doctor’s, and several left their cats in the activity room for me to see and photograph.

I’ve never seen the residents I work with so proud and happy. We’ve done many good things at the Mansion, and this may be the best thing we’ve done.

My Meditation Class was happy and transformed. They even formed a Cat Club.

The Cat Club is planning to meet regularly.

Most of the cats are either here, four, or five on the way, two were damaged in transit and sent back, and we are still canvassing other residents to see if they might want a cat or dog figure once they see what they can do and how much they are loved.

Ellen

These figures are astonishingly life-like – they have LED eyes that move, and they meow and purr and nod and move their heads when touched. They have brushes and cleaning tools for the residents.

There are other accessories for these cats; the residents are already asking about them. I’ll get to those later. Some residents will want blankets; II didn’t think of that. Two want bassinets.

I took a bunch of photos and am proud to post them here.

I want to say I’ve never seen the residents so engaged and alert (nobody’s eyes closed for a second), talkative, happy, and grateful for these gifts.  The staff is surprised and also delighted. I notice they care meticulously for their new companions, keeping them clean, brushed, and hugged.

It was a good day at the Mansion for me. Bonnie and Paryese were waiting with a wish-me list. I spent $500 on art supplies for the activities room – paint, brushes, canvases, and seeds for planting and soil in the coming weeks. I got everything they asked for.

The residents are burning through art supplies (acrylic paint, brushes, 8 x 14 canvases. Anyone with any of these supplies who wishes to donate them can send them to Bonnie, The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y. 12817.

 

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June.

I  have enough money to buy three or four additional cats if needed, and I will gladly accept other donations for the Mansion Fund. I am very grateful for these contributions.

( The new table clothes alone cost nearly $300.) Small acts of great kindness are our theme.

Contributions can be sent to Jon Katz, The Mansion Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816, Paypal, [email protected], or Venmo, Jon-Katz-Jon-Katz-13. Thanks, you came through on this one, and joy and feeling are spreading like wildfire.

Art

I hope the people reading this can savor these images. I can’t stop looking at the looks on their faces.

At the art class, everyone brought their cat. They are very proud to show them off.

 

Ellen loves Zinnia; she wanted Zinnia to meet her cat (she forgot the name). Zinnia gave the cat a sniff and lick and went back to sleep. Absolutely nothing rattles that dog. I love her very much.

The cat’s owner was sick and in her room; she wanted me to meet her cat, take her picture, and say thanks for getting her (or him).

The cat goes with her now when Ellen sits on a bench and talks to her friends.

This cat just arrived and is going to meet her new owner today. She winked and meowed at me and purred. I’ll keep track of this surprising experiment. I’ll share what I find, and thanks again for making it possible.