Robotic therapy cat
I thought about getting a cat at one time but most of the responders on this forum discouraged the idea and I agreed with them that it would be too much stress for me as he gets worse. Even now he leaves the door open a lot so I’d be constantly worried the cat would get out. I’ve been thinking about the robotic cats and decided to try it. I got it yesterday and he LOVES it! I thought he would think it silly - I told him I bought it for me. But he pets it and talks to it and it seems to relax him. So glad I bought one!
The Joy for All cats were at a discount on Amazon.
Comments
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Good to know. I've thought about it but always thought she'd see right through it. May try it though.
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Same M1. Thanks for sharing annie.
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That's so awesome!
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Update…I just took a shower and blow dried my hair and for the first time, DH didn’t come in once to check on me. He had the cat on his lap!
You gotta celebrate the little joys.😊11 -
I bought one of the Joy for All dogs for DH as he was transitioning from home to MC and I knew DH would miss our dog. DH didn't take to the dog like I thought he would, but still enjoyed it at times. He thought it was real. I've seen several residents with the cats, and they enjoy having them on their laps and petting them.
I ended up taking my DH's dog to my school, where I work with students in grades K-2. My students LOVE the dog. We call it robodog, and they treat it like a real dog.
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I bought one for myself as a caregiver who misses having a living pet. I don’t have the energy to worry about a live pet getting out or over fed etc. by DH with ALZ.
I am attached to my robot cat and it brings me joy! My granddaughters love it too. Anything that helps me, helps DH. He likes it but truly the cat is for me.🤭
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LOL, @WIGO23 , my dad was the one with dementia, but my mom was obsessed with the MCF's JFA cat. She'd futz with it at every care meeting we had. She was so besotted, my niece and I found her a lovely senior girl who needed a new home when her people moved to Hawaii.
I suggested the JFA cat to a friend whose mom lived with her. Oma had taken to disciplining the cats by yelling at them in German after years of doting on them. The poor cats were spooked and stayed upstairs when Oma was awake. My friend mentioned it to her niece who is a librarian at the local library— they have them to lend out. Oma was so taken with the trial, my friend bought her one.1 -
My mom had a joy for all cat. It made her very popular with the other residents. When it would meow when she walked past, mom would say ‘quiet!’
These robo animals usually go over very well with PWD
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Our actual living cat is a joy for me and my wife. The cat is a 12-year-old rescue and she comforts both of us. That being said, it is understandable if a pet is not possible for some caregivers and their loved one with dementia.
As an alternative to a real cat (or dog) or a robotic pet, my wife also enjoys a simple stuffed animal. I keep one in the car, and I bring one with us when we visit people. The stuffed animal gives my dear wife something warm and soft to cuddle and focus on.
Anything that calms and soothes our loved one with dementia is a blessing.
Love, Bill_2001
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That’s a great idea Bill, to have a stuffed animal in the car. My DH does like a small stuffed animal we have in the house and that’s why I thought the robotic cat was a good idea.
But now it appears he does thinks it’s real - wanted me to give her food tonight. I guess I need to go along with it.0 -
well I took the plunge and ordered one today Annie, I’ll let you know how it goes!
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@annie51 That's interesting about the stuffed animals.
After dad was diagnosed, we moved my parents back to PA and I arranged the sale of their houses in MD and FL. The sale in FL was turn-key, so I only packed personal items. The Realtor who handled the sale, arranged for a seasonal rental to bring in some income. Her minions had gone through the house, packed all the things and left the boxes in the garage. In going through them, I was stunned at the sheer number of random stuffies they had. I asked mom about it and she said dad would insist on buying any he saw at yard sales. This was so not him prior to dementia.
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wow I just looked them up really nice
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M1, I'm still vacillating between the Meta and Joy for All cat. Which one did you order?
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Joy for All....I didn't investigate any others, maybe i should have. If she doesn't like it I figure i can give it to my granddaughters...
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@M1 JFA cats aren't especially realistic, and they do feel kind of bony (your partner might be compelled for feed it), but they're weirdly interactive which makes them oddly compelling.
It looks like Metas cost at least twice as much.
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@harshedbuzz that's what I'm wondering, if the cost is justified. I watched a YouTube review of Meta and not decided yet. It does seem soft and follows verbal commands, which my LO is not capable of doing. The glowing eyes are kinda creepy.
Does the Joy cat respond with meows or movement when touched? Thanks
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My mom LOVES her Joy For All dog. She understands it's not a real dog. She enjoys interacting with it and says he is good company. She told me "this is the nicest present anyone has ever given me". Mom is prone to superlatives, but this really made me feel good. 😊
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Annie, I also took the plunge and ordered a cat today for my husband. He loves real animals, so hopefully this will provide some entertainment/distraction for him. It should be here tomorrow from Amazon. I got the Joy For All one in gray. Annie, you should get a commission. 😁
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I looked at the Meta too but agree with Caro-Lynne that the light up eyes look kind of creepy. And he barely talks, whispers only, so following voice commands wouldn’t work. We have two smallish real dogs that he sometimes pets but we try to distance them so he doesn’t try to feed them.
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The Joy cat responds to touching different parts of the body. It meows and purrs and moves a little bit (simulates licking its paw, turns its head back as if trying to get a belly rub). You can turn it to mute to stop the meow and it will still purr. Or you can turn it totally off.
I figured it’s easy to return from Amazon if it didn’t work out. I didn’t look into other brands so would be interested oin other’s experience.1 -
My mother with Alz adored her Joy for All cat. It was the best $80 I ever spent. Kept her company and busy for a couple years. I don't think I ever replaced the batteries and then passed it on to another resident when mom died, so they seem to last pretty well.
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soo…ours came today, I’ll take it to MC tomorrow. My dog is terrified of it…
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Ours came this morning. So far my DH seems interested. He hasn’t picked it up and held it, but pets it while it sits on the couch next to him. He moved closer to it a couple of times. Once or twice when he got up and started walking toward the door, it meowed and he came back to give it more pets. He’s been a little drowsy this morning so it’ll be interesting to see if he tires of it. Right now he seems somewhat amused by it.
Our dogs are interested but haven’t touched it. I still am a little concerned they could view it as a toy and toss it so I put it out of reach when we’re not supervising. It’s very cute and has soft fur, but hard underneath, so wouldn’t call it cuddly. I worry about keeping it clean since you can’t really wash it. I also worry how durable it would be if dropped. But it meows, blinks, moves its front paw and polls back for a belly rub and then back up again. The purr is loud enough for someone with hearing difficulties to hear. We’ll see how it goes in the days ahead. Batteries are included.
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lol! Hope it goes over better with your human. 😊
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I hope it will work out well for you. My DH does think it’s real - I actually didn’t expect that. You’re right that it’s not cuddly like a stuffed animal, but I put “her” on my lap and pet her sometimes and you don’t notice the hard belly. Most of the time we have it sitting in a chair and DH waves to her, pets her, talks to her.
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LOL! [M1’s dog]
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I laughed out loud at M1's dog reaction. Thanks for sharing this. i am looking into the dog version on Amazon!
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Thank you Annie!!! Huge hit-who knew? She kinda knows it’s not real but doesn’t care….talking to it and thrilled
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@M1 That is the cutest picture 😍thanks for sharing. xo
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Commonly Used Abbreviations
DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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