Many visitors don’t know that we have a resident cat, Chester, at The Pickering House. And that is just fine with him. I might point out that since its opening the Pickering House has been meticulously cleaned daily to protect anyone with animal allergies.
When Chester was still “new in these parts”, a woman was admitted to The Pickering House for end of life care. Arriving at The Pickering House, her daughter followed as the nurse and aide accompanied the patient into her room. Chester quietly followed the entourage into the room and lay down at the daughter’s feet. A fast friendship developed.
During this stage of life, the illness may not be the problem. The problem may be relationships, whether with family or wih God. In this case, the mother and daughter had a few issues to work out and lengthy discussions took place in the room. Chester was always at the daughter’s feet.
Several days after her arrival, the mother died. The daughter, of course, was upset and went to The Pickering House’s Sun Room to be alone. As she slumped into a chair crying, Chester, who followed her to the room jumped onto her lap and began to meow softly. For almost an hour as the emotion ran its course, Chester held on, resting his head on her stomach and softly meowing.
That was the first time any of our staff saw Chester console anyone, but it is a scenario that is now seen more frequently. Everyone at FAIRHOPE Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc. is available to offer comfort, even our cat.
Author Rick Schneider
