Laughter, conversation and anticipation filled the common room of the Phillips Strickland House on a recent Monday afternoon. About two dozen residents gathered in a large circle of chairs and wheelchairs, along with a few staff members and family visitors, their excitement palpable as volunteers from the Bangor Humane Society walked in with a cadre of furry friends for a bit of mutual admiration and affection.
The Cats on Laps team brought five cats — Lemmy, Merle, Snowflake and kittens Midnight and Munchkin — and a small, brown, wiggling dog, Eddie. The residents’ animation increased as the friendly animals explored the room, rubbed against their ankles and played in their laps.
“I love it when they come,” resident Sally Berry said, stroking the purring, curious Midnight as he nestled, briefly, against her shoulder. Berry, 73, said she has lived at Phillips Strickland House for about four years.
“I used to have cats and dogs. My kids always wanted them,” she said, a tender smile lighting her eyes. “The kittens always want to stay with me.”
Next to her sat Diana Lindsay, 79, who had her eye on Merle, a sizable long-haired black cat that had gotten comfortable on an empty chair across the room. “I want to see that black cat,” she said. “My daughter has three cats.”
When she was a child in Lincoln, Lindsay recalled, her father had brought home a cat. “He was kind of a wild cat,” she said, stitching together the old memory. “He stayed in the barn.”
Later in life, she said, “We had a chow dog. He was so cute. And then I had a Yorkshire terrier, who was very protective of me.”
Lindsay marveled at the room full of laughing, talking residents and the friendly creatures making the rounds. “I like to see how the animals interact with the people here,” she said. “I don’t know how they deal with all the noise. Mine would be hiding.”
For humane society volunteer Laurie Qualey, who co-founded the Cats in Laps program about a year ago, connecting affectionate shelter animals with pet-friendly seniors is a simple act of common sense and kindness. In addition to visiting the residents at Phillips Strickland House, the program takes animals across town to Ross Manor, with two other area sites, Eastside Center For Health and Rehabilitation in Bangor and Dirigo Pines in Orono, starting up soon.
“You can see everyone loves it,” Qualey said. “The bond between humans and animals is really amazing.” In addition to pleasing the elders and teasing open old, happy memories, she said, the monthly visits help socialize the shelter animals and cue the volunteers about their individual characteristics, which is a help in placing them.
However, Qualey noted, the pets visiting that day weren’t technically shelter-dwellers — not any more. They had all been adopted, some quite recently, by the volunteers who brought them. Normally, she said, the Bangor Humane Society has a plethora of cats and kittens to select from. But because of recent high rates of adoption at the shelter, there were none available to bring this day, so the volunteers brought their own.
That’s a problem the shelter is happy to have, according to Stacy Coventry, director of development and community relations at the Bangor Humane Society. Recent outreach programs have successfully raised awareness of the shelter’s mission, she said. Now few animals stay there for more than a few weeks before being placed in new homes.
“Cats on Laps is one way we can give back to this community that has been so supportive of us,” she said. “There are so many people who love animals but just can’t have a pet.”
Many people who move into apartments or care facilities must give up their beloved pets. That’s what happened to Elaine Murak, 69, of Cape Rosier when worsening health forced her to move from her own home into a small apartment and then, about a year ago, to Phillips Strickland House.
“The biggest heartbreak of my life was having to give up my dog because I couldn’t take care of him any more,” she said. Fortunately, a niece was able to adopt her 9-year-old cockapoo, Wally, and now brings him to visit from time to time.
And Murak has developed a new relationship with Baron, a gentle greyhound brought in midway through the group’s visit by Qualey’s husband, Matt, generating a new round of enthusiasm.
Baron has visited several times and has many admirers among the residents, said Murak as she stroked the dog’s silky ears. But it’s special between the two of them. “Baron and I saw each other across the room on his first visit,” she said, leaning in for a kiss. “And it just took off.”
In addition to Cats on Laps, the Bangor Humane Society has implemented a number of community outreach programs in recent years. School children can come into the shelter with a parent or guardian to interact with the animals, create toys and treats and make adoption signs for the cages.
Shelter staff also visit area schools to discuss the proper care of animals, and animals can be sent to a workplace or other locations for socialization and potential adoption. There’s also a program that matches hard-to-place dogs with qualified military veterans and one called “ Dog’s Day Out,” which allows area residents to sign a dog out for a day of socialization, companionship and exercise.
For more information, visit bangorhumane.org or call 207-942-8902.
