Lucille Frisk pets Fabio, who has taken to her during his few months of living at the Veterans Home in Luverne.
By Sara Quam
A few shoppers have been scared by the Bargain Center's regular display item, its resident watchcat.
Bunny has lived in the store since he strayed in about four years ago. The fluffy long-haired cat is popular with most customers, according to owner Carol Sorenson.
"The customers seem to like it. He's quite a fixture around here," she said.
Bunny is friendly with most customers, although he doesn't prefer to be handled by children. For the most part, he fits in well among the rest of the merchandise.
"He'll even let customers put him in the cart and he rides around with them," Sorenson said.
A few other businesses in Luverne have their own sort of cat mascots. Midnight lives in Nelson Automotive where he's made his home for 10 years.
Owner Lyle Nelson doesn't know why the black cat wandered in one day, but he probably stays for the food.
Linda Iverson said, "He walks across my papers and sometimes he just sits down."
The staff at Nelson's theorized that the independence of cats might be more suited to a business than a dog would be.
And the companionship during the workday is fun for the workers, even though they're also providing a home for a stray. "He thinks he's the boss," Iverson said.
Pets for alternative care
The Minnesota Veterans Home has a different take on its house cats. The residents enjoy the company of two cats as part of a philosophy that includes love and bonding in addition to medical treatment.
Fabio and Purr are both donated pets. Ericka (Tollefson) Noteboom gave Fabio most recently, and he's already made himself a part of the family.
Resident Lucille Frisk is one who's formed a bond with Fabio. She always liked animals and appreciates the reminders of her earlier life when she kept pets. "This one has really taken to me. I don't know why," she said.
Frisk said to Fabio, "You like me, don't you? The rest of them must not be as good to you."
Vets Home administrator Pam Barrows said, "Having the animals is part of the Eden philosophy that includes alternative care."
She said that medical problems the residents have can't always be fixed. "But loneliness, boredom and hopelessness are definitely treatable," she said.
Purr is an older cat that was donated from an agency in Marshall. "Purr doesn't like Fabio. I think Fabio likes to get in her space and irritate her," Barrows said. The two have separate feeding stations and litter boxes.
The residents have fun tracking the cats during the day and sharing stories about them. The employees seem to enjoy the company as much as the residents and stop during the day to pet them.
Barrows said the Vets Home may be ready for a dog next.
Dogs and cats aren't the only options for residents, though. One resident who doesn't get out of his room often has his own parakeet to keep him company.
Whatever kind of animals the Vets Home gets, it will take regular grooming and veterinarian visits. But Barrows said she's seen enough response to want to pursue more animals.
"We have the medical model in place, but we're developing the social model of creating an environment where elders thrive."