Gentle Cat Spends All Day Comforting His Dad With Alzheimer’s
“I kinda think he does know that his daddy needs him more now than before" ❤️️
Patricia Wright’s husband Bob is a retired veterinarian, so animals have always brought him a great deal of comfort. After he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2009, life became a struggle and it was often hard to find things that made him happy. Things that used to bring him joy simply didn’t anymore — except for his cat Mooshu.
Mooshu is an extremely social, affectionate cat who loves being around people and curling up for a good snuggle. When he first joined his family in 2013, his dad was already fighting his battle with Alzheimer's, and it didn’t take Mooshu long to realize how much his dad needed him.
“Bob kept asking for a cat in his lap, so I kept picking Mooshu up and putting him in Bob’s lap,” Wright told The Dodo. “Now he’s there all the time and he sleeps in his arms at night.”
The couple has another cat as well, Norman, but for some reason, Mooshu and his dad have always had a special bond. The gentle cat seems to understand what his dad is going through, and has essentially become his little protector, keeping an eye on him wherever he goes.
“I kinda think he does know that his daddy needs him more now than before,” Wright said. “When Bob gets his shower, Moosh is the one who is in there meowing and rubbing against him like he’s trying to make sure he’s OK.”
Mooshu is with his dad as much as he possibly can be, but sometimes he has to go off and do his own thing. Wright realized how distraught her husband would get during the rare times Mooshu wasn’t around, so she decided to get a little creative.
“Bob was so happy with Moosh on his lap and it kept him so calm, that he wasn’t happy unless the cat was there,” Wright said. “I had to buy him a robot cat to keep him company when Moosh was doing cat stuff.”
At first, Mooshu was none too happy about the robot cat imposter who suddenly started hanging out on his dad’s lap, but eventually he made peace with it. Now, whenever Mooshu is off playing or exploring, his dad still has a cat to keep him company until his best friend comes back again.
Living with Alzheimer’s isn’t easy, and some days are harder than others — but as long as Mooshu is by his dad’s side, there’s nothing the pair can’t get through together.
“Moosh is the one thing that Bob still enjoys,” Wright said. “He used to be a veterinarian, so animal contact is very important to him and Moosh willingly supplies it all the time.”