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Cheryl Yates’ 88-year-old father was suffering terribly with his final stages of Lewy Body dementia, and she was desperate to find him some relief.

For his entire life, Bob loved cats and proudly owned nine of them over the years. He missed his cats but was confined to the hospital.

That’s when Yates found Joy For All, a former Hasbro company with a mission to “bring comfort, companionship, and fun to elder loved ones.”

She and her family purchased one of Joy For All’s robotic cats as a gift for Bob to keep him company.

Yates wrote on Facebook,

My father loves cats and dogs, especially cats. He was a real cat man and always had cats. For Christmas, we bought him a Joy For All robotic lifelike companion cat in his favorite orange and white tabby colour. This kitty is amazing, totally interactive, and responds to petting, human touch and voice. This robotic cat purrs, meows and licks its paws. It rolls over, blinks, and head butts.

My dad LOVES this cat so much. He named his kitty Buddy and my dad is so much happier and calmer and this cat brings him so much comfort and companionship.

The post and photos that Yates put up of her dad has since been taken down, but the company shows a bunch of examples of how people are delighted about these pets.

From fluffy kitties just like the one Bob got…

Also, check out the cuddly pups!

And this gives you an idea of the kinds of things the pets do.

The choices for cats include grey and white, black and white and beautiful orange tabby. Robotic dogs also come in a variety of breeds.

Check out this video that shows how the cats respond to people.

There’s no real scientific proof that robotic pets are therapeutic for dementia patients. But plenty of people with loved ones living with dementia say the bonds made with the robotic cats and dogs are real enough. And medical professionals say the toys give the patients a way to feel in control again.

These mechanical pets are a lovely way to improve the quality of life and sense of empowerment for those who are battling such a lonely disease.

What do you think about this idea? A good way to give dementia patients a new pal?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments!