Just ask Barbara, who has a beautiful orange and white tabby cat she calls Pretty Boy. “He knows his name,” she says, “and he likes taking care of himself and showing off his big white tummy.” Barb is so happy she was able to bring her companion of six years when she moved into her new home at Residences at Coffee Creek almost two years ago. Pretty boy belonged to her sister, a gift from her nephew to his mother.
“Pretty Boy is a shelter cat, he’s never been outdoors. I was so worried about what was going to happen when it was time to leave my house. The staff at Coffee Creek reassured me that he would be as welcome as I was, and that was a big relief. They told me I didn’t have to pay extra for him, either. So I just take care of him like I always did,” Barbara explained. “The only thing is,” she laughs, “he doesn’t like his little room in our new apartment, so now he prefers to sit in my lap all the time– unless that crazy cat is batting all his toys around, under the sofa!”
Nancy has a beautiful Macaw parrot. He greets her every day, early in the morning, when he knows it’s about time to remove the cloth covering she drapes over his cage at dusk every evening. “He can talk,you know,” said Nancy, who explained she and her husband had raised Macaws for years. She says they live a good many years, they walk around the house, and they just seem to know the habits of their owners. Nancy is also very happy that she could bring her pet to Residences at Coffee Creek. “While most people have dogs they are concerned about bringing, not too many have parrots and I was worried about that, but it turned out just right, “she said.
Kaitlynn Redmon, Executive Director at Residences at Coffee Creek said that families and seniors looking to make the move to a senior living community always seem so shocked and pleasantly surprised when they ask whether a dog or cat is able to make the move with the owner. “We don’t require a deposit, we ask that dogs be on a leash and not taken into the restaurant dining area; dog vaccines are a must and we do have to require a weight limit as it would be difficult to accommodate larger pets here. But other than that, residents and staff really enjoy having pets around. The cats, however, like Pretty Boy, prefer to stay in their homes,” Kaitlynn laughed.