Fostering felines helps Calgary seniors flourish

The Shalem Senior Community in southwest Calgary has formed a unique partnership with the animal rescue group Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) in an effort to alleviate the growing pressure the rescue agency is facing, while providing companionship to older adults.

“It's a way for residents to have additional activity, a sense of need as they participate in the care of a cat,” said Shalem’s executive director Dorothy de Vuyst.

“We have many residents that will come with their grandkids, or their kids and spend a little bit of time here (in the room with the foster cat.) So it's just a great way for those who love animals to still be able to interact and relate to animals.”

Since August, Shalem has set aside a room in its Glenbrook facility to foster a cat from AARCS. Residents provide all the care and maintenance, and in return the cat provides some much-needed animal companionship.

Shalem resident Connie Plenert was instrumental in bringing the foster cat program to the facility.

“I thought it was important for all of us to have a pet around because so many of us had pets at home or had to leave them when he moved here,” Plenert said.

“Now, there's always something for us to do. Like, if you're bored, or you're tired, or you're sad, you come to the cat room and just have a good little cuddle.”

AARCS cat program manager Elizabeth Dill says the partnership defines the oft overused term win-win.

“To be able to send our cats into a home environment where they're the only animal or amongst a few other well, socialized animals, is really beneficial to their socialization,” said Dill.

“It ultimately makes them more adoptable, which is beneficial to us. It also frees up bunks in our shelter for more new cats to come into. So we can keep a good flow, and can help other cats in the community.”

Dill says AARCS has seen a dramatic rise in animals, especially cats, being turned over to shelters in the past year.

“It's been a combination of private owner surrender requests, cats being found as strays and turned in and not being reclaimed, mother cats having large litters of kittens, and then the owner can't find homes for those guys. The pet friendly housing crisis too has really kind of exponentially increased the volume of those requests too,” she said.

“We have a foster base of over 500 foster homes and we've filled up. Every home that has been available to us has a cat. It's just the numbers are too high right now.”

Shalem is currently fostering its second cat. The first cat, named Birthday, was adopted on Aug. 31. Since then, the seniors have been caring for, and cuddling, a white stray named Geranium. Like her predecessor, Geranium will eventually leave the Shalem when she is adopted to a new family.

“Then I will cry. I will be crying. I have a little bit of tears. It will be sad but so long as she has a happy place. We are okay with that. I'm okay with that,” said Shalem resident Anita Saner.

“'I’ve been an animal lover all my life. It's relaxing and we help her out to be in a happy place, and she helps me out to snuggle and play.”