Retirement home adopts rescue cats

Sudbury retirement home puts rescue cats to work VDEO: A Sudbury retirement home is using rescue cats to help improve the quality of life of its residents. Molly Frommer reports.

It's a warm, fuzzy feeling for participants in a pilot project going on at a retirement home in the north.

Finlandia Village in Sudbury has ‘hired’ two rescue cats to try and improve the quality of life for residents.

The two furry friends have found a new permanent home and a full-time job, which is to put smiles on everyone’s face.

Jill Rogers is the assistant director of care at the long-term care home. She says she has been thinking of ways to bring more life into the facility. She came up with this idea after scrolling online and seeing dozens of cats up for adoption

"And one day, it just hit me. There are all these amazing cats with nowhere to go, just want to give love. And I work in a place where there are all these people who are sometimes lonely, sometimes depressed." said Rogers.

(Finlandia resident holds and pets Harry, the facilities new cat. Molly Frommer/CTV Northern Ontario)

Both cats came from S.A.I.N.T.S. Rescue Sudbury, which stands for Safeguarding Animals In Need Today Society.

Rogers says since these cats arrived, she has seen a big transformation in the residences.

"The way it has affected our residents has been phenomenal. We have a lot of residents who have dementia, who are unable to communicate with us verbally, and to see their faces light up when they just even see the cat walking down the hall, to when they're holding them or petting them. I've had residents brought to tears just with pure joy." said Rogers.

(Susie wanders the halls of Finlandia Village. Molly Frommer/CTV Northern Ontario)

Eight-year-old Harry and three-year-old Susie love the attention they receive from the residents on a daily basis.

Edna Servos is a Finlandia resident that is pleased with the new additions.

"I love the cats. They are so regal. The one doesn't like to be picked up or anything, but I like when they wander around and they're gentle." said Servos.

Aune Lahti is a resident that used to have cats of her own.

"I love cats. My husband and I always had cats. Like our first cat, Thompson, lived to be 17; and then we had two more cats. The cats here, I call them Harry ‘the macho man’ and sweet Susie. I really love to have them around." said Lahti.

Employees and residents think there is enough room for more cats in the near future, but the question is, who is rescuing who?