KALISPELL — There are few things people love more than a cute and cuddly kitten, and that rings true for seniors in the Flathead Valley.
KittyMom, a cat rescue and adoption nonprofit in Kalispell, has been using their kittens to spread joy in senior homes while providing crucial socialization for the animals before adoption. That's where the idea of bringing them to senior homes was born.
"We started, I remember it was a little after the pandemic," KittyMom volunteer Robin Young told MTN.
Now visiting different senior homes in the Flathead Valley nearly every Tuesday, volunteers say there is a significant difference in the demeanors when the kittens arrive.
"Even the other day we had that gentleman, oh my gosh he's so precious, but he's blind but he hums to them and sings to them and he is just a kitten whisperer as are a lot of people," Young said.
Moving into a senior center is not always an easy decision, as there are many factors in play, including pets.
"A lot of people, they've had pets their whole lives and then they go into assisted living or nursing homes or Alzheimer's, and they don't have an animal and it really, really means the world to them," Young explained.
In the end, the seniors are helping the kittens just as much as the kittens are helping the seniors.
"These kittens, they're off the streets, they get a second chance, they need to be socialized and loved before they get adopted. The people in the nursing homes and Alzheimer's units, they're lonely, and they get to help us, we help them, they help us, so it's a win win," Young said.
