DES MOINES, Iowa — While there are all kinds of animals that are considered pets, nearly 46% of American households have a dog and 32% have a cat. But owning and taking care of a furry friend isn’t always feasible later in life, like at a nursing home — until now.

“Oh, I just love him. He’s talking to me. Isn’t that good,” laughs Barb Fry, while cuddling her new pet.

A pet is the ultimate companion.

Thursday was adoption day at Good Samaritan Society Nursing Home in Ottumwa — robotic pet adoption. As part of the Furry Friend Project, fully funded by a CMP Reinvestment Program grant, 28 assistive robotic pets were adopted. These lifelike companions provide therapeutic benefits for residents, particularly those with dementia.

“There are a lot of these residents, their pets or their friends, they become almost family to them. And I think being able to have family all the time, 24/7 is going to be amazing for them. It’s going to make them feel like they’re a pet owner again. It’s going to make them feel like they’re still thriving as an adult. It’s going to make them feel like they’re not trapped in a nursing home, because that’s one of our biggest fears, is that residents feel trapped in here. And I just want them to feel like they’re out and they’re doing their thing,” said Rachel Lewman, Good Samaritan Activity Director.

Many of these residents grew up with pets themselves, so getting these robotic pets definitely brings up some good memories.

“The last dog I had was named Princey but that was 50 some years ago,” said resident Don Bailey.

Fry said, “All my dogs have died. I was looking forward to having another pet.”

The robotic pets are pretty realistic, you get all the benefits. They’re soft, cuddly, cute, and you don’t have to do all the hard work of taking care of them.

“So, the cat’s meow, they purr, The dogs rotate their heads. They blink. They bark and they wag their tail,” said Lewman. “We had some residents who were even crying because it was so exciting. I think they’ll absolutely love them.”