Lorelai the therapy cat brings smiles to residents at Regina long-term care home

A furry resident at Regina Lutheran Home is helping residents stay paw-sitive.

Lorelai is a three-year-old cat and the star of Memory Lane, the area where she lives at the long-term care home. 

Crystal Massier, a community enrichment specialist with Eden Care — the company that operates the home — said there were discussions for months about what type of animal companion to bring into the home. Once they decided on a cat, the search began. 

When the adoption of a cat named Rosie fell through, Massier said she saw Lorelai listed for adoption on the Regina Humane Society website. 

"They got me in touch with the foster mom, and she also works in long-term care, so she thought immediately it was a perfect fit for us," Massier said.

"She got the ball rolling for us. And by the end of about 30 minutes, I had a cat ready."

Lorelai eventually arrived at the care home on Oct. 29, and immediately started making friends.

"She really is a friend to all who she meets, even staff. She's always ready to flip over and give you her belly so that you can give her a good rub," Massier said.

Liliann Wilton, one of Memory Lane's residents, said that Lorelai is "very, very sharp." 

"She's good, except for the time she got to my walker and she, through the bars of the little basket, got all the little treats out and ate them. She ate everything in the bag," said Wilton. 

Lorelai recently had to leave the facility because of a COVID-19 outbreak. The Saskatchewan Health Authority requested that animals not be in a public space just to ensure that there wouldn't be cross-contamination.

"We missed her. You keep looking for her and she's not there," said Wilton. 

Luckily for the residents, they were able to video chat with her while she was away. Last week, Lorelai came back to the care home.

"We're glad to have her back with us," said Wilton. "She's part of our family."