Animatronic Pets Give Minnesota Seniors Sense of Companionship
Residents at Tradition Independent and Assisted Living in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota received a great gift from the city of Brooklyn Park. Tradition, along with a few other senior living communities in the area, received animatronic pets to keep the residents' company without the responsibility. Tradition receives two cats and two dogs and they've been a big hit so far.
The city of Brooklyn Park purchased these animatronic pets with CARES Act money they received, according to WCCO. The pets meow/bark, purr, blink and move. And they respond to things going on around them.
One resident, at Tradition, Karen Raum, has had one of the two cats with her for about two months. The cat's name is Sabrina and Karen says she'll meow when the lights turn on, when Karen walks by her, talks to her, pets her, etc.
"'I know she’s not real, of course, but I still talk to her and pet her,'" Karen told WCCO. Karen lost her husband this past March and her cat in June, so she's very happy to have Sabrina by her side, even if she's not a real cat.
Tradition is hoping to one day get more animatronic pets for their residents since these four have been a huge hit already.
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