pCANTON — There’s a new four-legged resident at the Maplewood assisted living facility who has become somewhat of a celebrity./ppOscar, a 2-year-old tiger cat who lives on the second floor, arrived in early December and has stolen the hearts of residents and staff alike./ppThe friendly feline was chosen from the Potsdam Humane Society and now spends his days with senior citizens, watching birds in the glass aviary and napping as he pleases./pp“I think he adds a lot of coziness,” said 86-year-old John Pellegrino, a retired Massena Central School teacher. “I had cats all my life. He welcomes our attention.”/ppBarbara A. Fenton, 67, said she has “fallen in love” with Oscar, who has started sleeping on her bed every night./pp“I love cats and I always had cats growing up,” Mrs. Fenton said. “It was a part that was missing for me.”/ppShe said it makes her and other residents happy to see Oscar wandering the halls and stopping in their rooms for attention./pp“It’s very therapeutic. I love petting him because he purrs,” Mrs. Fenton said. “He’s adapted very well. He’s spoiled, too.”/ppThe male cat was given to the facility by Edward “Ed” I. Gordon, a retired veterinarian, who believes having an animal around will bring happiness to residents and provide a good home for the feline./pp“I have been pushing for this for years,” Mr. Gordon said. “He brings joy to the residents and staff.”/ppResearch has shown that regular contact with pets helps some people who suffer from anxiety and depression, he said./ppMr. Gordon, Potsdam, serves as president of the Society of the United Helpers board of directors and has been an active volunteer at United Helpers facilities for decades./ppHe said he took his time trying to choose a cat that would fit in well at Maplewood and based on the response so far he’s confident he made the right choice./ppLeslie A. Whitton, a registered nurse who manages the assisted living program, said a few of the 48 residents on the second floor were skeptical about the idea of having a cat around, but everyone seems to have adjusted well. There haven’t been problems with allergies./pp“He’s mellow and he’s clean,” she said. “He grew on everyone. He’s very friendly and has been a good addition.”/ppSome staff members have volunteered to clean the litter box. Oscar has a bed perched in front of the aviary in the lounge. He has multiple dishes of food around and plenty of toys. At Christmas time, one of the residents gave Oscar a knitted red sweater. /pp“He’ll pounce at the glass once in awhile,” Ms. Whitton said. “He spends a lot of time watching the birds.”/p
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