Inspiration For New Cat Accessories

Kali-Ma and I have been visiting Medilodge Nursing Home regularly now for over four months. We have a routine with the patients and we have appreciated the patient improved interactions during our time there. You can read more about these in our archives if you are interested: Tails of Kali-Ma Cat Therapy Blog Archives.

I was so inspired by our last visit when a stroke patient spoke, Stroke Patient Speaks With Cat Therapy that I decided to try some new accessories for our visits.  I wanted to invoke some cat therapy stimulation with the patients. I just knew that Kali-Ma could reach the patients even more if we had the right tools. 

I bought a tiny cat brush that the patients could hold in their hand. It barely fit in the palm of my hand so I thought it would easy for patients to brush Kali-Ma with. I also packed a tube of Kali-Ma’s favorite Inaba treat. This is a liquid treat that squeezes through a tube. It can be found on our shopping page Shop Kali-Ma.  It’s full of vitamins and probiotics. It’s very healthy for Kali-Ma and I thought the patient could hold it while she licked it. 

Testing The Cat Therapy Stimulation Tools

We arrived with all of our accessories as the patients were wheeled into the activities center. Kali-Ma was perched on her pink blanket atop the table as everyone settled in. One of the patients Linda began brushing her with the tiny brush. Kali-Ma was in heaven.

Then I got out the Inaba treat tube. First I gave it to Linda. Some of the liquid poured over but Kali-Ma licked it all up. Linda said, “She’s giving me kisses!” 

Mary was sitting on the other side of the table. Mary was the stroke patient that Kali-Ma and I had met last week. I talked to Mary for a little bit and then I handed her the tube. Kali-Ma was licking away! A few seconds later Mary started to laugh. 

I passed the tube back over to Linda and handed Mary the tiny brush. Her hand was shaking slightly but she was able to brush Kali-Ma. She repeatedly brushed her for over ten minutes. At times she said clear sentences while she was brushing. We had a really good visit and Kali-Ma couldn’t have been happier.

One on One Patient Visits

Kali-Ma and I then continued on to visit patients in their rooms that could not get out of bed and make it to the activities center. We were walking down the hall when we came across “Miss Kym”. She is a patient that has Dementia. She does not speak any English, only Korean. 

I said hello to her and she grabbed onto Kali-Ma’s stroller and started talking in Korean to her. I wished with all my heart that I could communicate with her in her language. Somehow though, Kali-Ma seems to bridge all language barriers. 

We proceeded on to see all other patients that look forward to her little pink polka dot stroller coming down that hall. There is a patient that plays solitaire alone in her room. She never smiles and seldom picks up her head. Every time Kali-Ma and I come in her face looks like it’s Christmas morning and she says “the kitty – it’s the kitty!”.

There is another patient that is on a breathing machine and always smiles at me and says “you brought the kitty to see me – thank you!”. We only stay five or ten minutes but she always tells Kali-Ma how beautiful she is and how nice she is to come and visit her. 

There are so many beautiful patients and so many stories to tell. Kali-Ma seems to bring everyone alive and happy just by being there and it’s my honor to witness it.

Gratitude

When Kali-Ma and I were leaving this week several people expressed their gratitude to us for being there, and for what we do. Everyone from nurses aides, patients, family members of patients and other staff. 

I always have the same reply “It’s I that am grateful, and we love what we do here”. There are no words that can describe the joy I feel inside when I hear a patient laugh or see a patient smile when they look at Kali-Ma. I don’t even do anything but transport her. 

I was blessed to have Kali-Ma come into my life on that fated New Year’s Eve day. Just days before I met her I thought my world was ending ( Surviving Pet Loss ). She has been healing me, and everyone else we met since that day. I am so grateful that we can now do it as a team. 

Until Next Time…Happy Tails To You!