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Robot Companion Cats for those Living with Dementia
Dr Joanne Pike (pictured below with a robot cat) was the lead author on a paper that investigated ‘companotics’, robot companion cats for people at home with dementia. There are well-known benefits of pet-assisted therapy, especially for those who have memory impairments. This research study aimed to explore the impacts of a robot companion cat in the home environment where the person with dementia lived an independent life with support from family and carers.
The research team enlisted five volunteer participants from Wrexham and the surrounding area and after giving information and having a suitability discussion, a robot cat was left with the participants who wanted to take part. Participants were all considered to be living with dementia symptoms and were living at home cared for by family, friends, or carers.
The researchers conducted one short initial interview with the participants and their families two weeks after they had their cat, and another longer interview at three months post-cat. Participants and their families were encouraged to take photographs (auto-photography) to jog memories and facilitate discussion. The Companotic devices were created by a company called Ageless Innovations and the cat meows, purrs, and moves in response to human touch. All participants kept the cat after the conclusion of the research study.
The interview data was considered as a whole and interpreted through a nursing lens, as per the lead-author’s academic background.
Four themes were identified across the interview data:
Acceptance and rejection
Some participants immediately rejected the cat because they either didn’t like cats or felt the cat looked too spooky and showed looks of disgust and distrust towards the cat. Those who accepted the cat described being a cat lover or finding the robot cat visually attractive.
Distraction
The cat acted as a distraction for some participants and was something to enjoy and stroke. However, it was not a complete replacement for a real cat. One participant loved the cat so much that she put it to bed on the sofa at night and cared for it like a real cat.
Communication
For some, the cat evoked conversation between the participants and their families and carers, and families noted that the novelty of the cat lasted at least three months, between the first and second interviews. For one participant with severe dementia symptoms, the cat helped her become less withdrawn. Another family spoke of how the cat encouraged a calm and settled demeanour with their family member, even noticing improved memory.
Connecting with the cat and others
The cat was successful in stimulating conversation between participants and their families. One participant had a strong positive reaction to the cat, and this was still evident after three months; the participant’s daughter said that it had ‘given her a new lease of life’. In contrast, another participant enjoyed the cat’s company but grew anxious at the meowing noise so kept it turned off but still close by to stroke.
The findings clearly showed that the robot cats helped with communication and distraction for some participants and strong changes were noted in behaviour and mood. The cats also seemed to help the participants’ families indirectly by calming the mood in the room and acting as an anchor for those who had moderate to severe symptoms of dementia. Some participants bonded emotionally with the cats, speaking lovingly to them even when they could not talk to people.
“The results of this study show that for individuals living at home, where assistance is accepted from others and where the robot cat is accepted, there are positive benefits… Although the study reported is small scale, it has offered a unique and important insight into the appropriateness for introducing companion robot pets into an individual’s home environment.”
