Introducing Our Newest Resident: Maya the Cat!
One of our Supported Living Services in Llanelli has welcomed a new resident… and she has taken no time at all to settle into her new surroundings!
Allow us to introduce you to Maya the cat! For quite some time now, John and Andrew, two of the individuals who live at the service have been very keen on the idea of adopting a cat. At first it was agreed they would adopt a cat each but after weeks of searching the internet, filling out adoption forms and calling animal rescue centres, their support teams soon realised this was going to be a challenge.
Just as they were beginning to lose hope, a team member received a message from a lady on Facebook that rehomes cats.
She sent a picture of Maya and explained that she needed to be re homed ASAP as she was being locked away from the dog at her home.
The team spoke with Andrew and John about Maya and showed them her photo… it was love at first sight and they were in agreement she must come to live with them. After our team spoke with Maya’s owner, they were informed that she would be moving in the very next day!
Our Pobl colleagues supported Andrew and John to purchase all of the things she would need; they chose her food, biscuits, litter tray with all of the essentials and even bought her toys and a lovely new bed.
The morning Maya was due to arrive everyone was very excited.
Maya was very nervous for a few days and hid under the chair, but with a lot of love and patience shown to her, Maya is now content and confident, with an extremely loving nature.
Of course, It’s well-known (and scientifically proven) that interaction with a gentle, friendly pet has significant benefits. You may remember that we wrote an article about John, another individual we support benefitting from a robotic therapy pet.
We’ve listed some of the proven benefits below:
For physical health:
• lowers blood pressure
• improves cardiovascular health
• releases calming endorphins
• diminishes overall physical pain
• encourages relaxation
For mental health:
• lifts spirits and lessens depression
• decreases feelings of isolation and alienation
• encourages communication
• provides comfort
• increases socialisation
• reduces boredom
• decreases anxiety
• creates motivation
• reduces loneliness
Reinforcing this is the fact that the mood at the service has been noticeably calmer since Maya’s arrival. She loves a cuddle and a fuss and everyone adores her, especially Andrew and John. We look forward to watching on as the bond between Maya, John and Andrew develops.
