Sad shelter cat gets a new gig at assisted living facility
Cats like dogs have been domesticated and generally thrive off of human companionship. Some might even venture to say that these animals do best when they feel like they're serving a purpose, even if that purpose is to be the foot warmer at the end of your bed. This centuries worth of domestication is the reason so many pets prefer to live amongst humans but for some, one human just won't do.
George is a 7-year-old white domestic shorthair that once called a senior living facility home but when the home closed down, the cat was out of a job. The staff at the facility that housed George brought him to a local animal shelter where he became depressed fairly quickly. Finding a home for the sad cat wan't going to be an easy feat since on top of him looking visibly depressed, he also has a rather unique look.
Many people would love an all white cat but George looks a little off. One of his ears is folded inward at the base and points forward while the other folds down and points off the the side appearing smaller than average cat ears. Couple that with his mopey face and it's a recipe for a long shelter stay.
Tired Cat GIFGiphy
But Four Footed Friends Animal Shelter in Indiana, Pennsylvania did not plan to let George stay in the shelter longer than needed. They knew the sad kitty didn't need to wait for a family to see the potential beyond his physical flaws because George needed a job. A job where he got to be the center of attention any time he walked into the room so Alex and the people at the animal shelter went on the hunt for another senior care home.
"He was definitely depressed, he was down. We had him in a kennel away from the other cats. He responded every time we walked by he gave us a little meow. He wanted attention. You could just tell he just wasn't happy about his situation," Alex tells Geobeats.
The plan quickly became to get George back to work so the shelter started telling local nursing homes about the furry companion in hopes one of them would give him a chance. After the senior living facilities found out the cat had years of previous experience that allows him to bypass meow-ientation, they were lining up to add George to their staff.
Eventually the shelter chose Forest Hills Personal Care Home and George has made himself at home. To no one's surprise, he's purr-fect at his job.
"He's not a loud cat, he's not a super playful cat, he is a comforting cat. I think that's more his speed. He's a lap cat, he's a cuddle cat and he's the kind of boy that'll be very loyal to you and follow you around. He thrives on being able to be with a lot of people," Alex explains. "He wouldn't have done well in a home with just one or two people."
The residents at the personal care home love him and give him all the attention he could ever possibly need. But once his shift is over, all the elderly residents are sound asleep and the night nurses are counting the minutes before their reprieve arrives, George lets loose. He gets the late night zoomies to get in his cardio before another long day of caring for his residents. It sure is hard being a working cat sometimes but somehow George manages to do it without bending a whisker.
A volunteer hands out food in a food bank and Meg Sullivan shares her dad's kind gesture.
When we consider people who have had a positive impact on the world, we often think of those who have made grand gestures to improve the lives of others, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Greta Thunberg, or Mahatma Gandhi. Unfortunately, that type of effort is out of reach for the average person.
However, O Organics would like to remind everyone that they can positively impact the world through small, consistent acts of kindness that add up over time. Much like how a small creek can create a valley over the years, we can change lives through small, consistent acts of kindness.
O Organics is dedicated to the well-being of all by nourishing people everywhere with delicious organic foods grown by producers who meet USDA-certified organic farming standards.
Upworthy's Instagram page recently posted a touching example of everyday kindness. Meg Sullivan shared how her father, Tom, peeled oranges for her lunch just about every day from kindergarten through high school. But on the final day of her senior year of high school, he sent his 17-year-old daughter unpeeled oranges with a touching note about how she’d have to start peeling them for herself.
“It’s Time Baby Girl,” he wrote on a wikiHow printout on how to peel an orange with a drawing of himself crying. For the father, this daily ritual was about more than just making lunch; it was about showing that he cared by going the extra mile. “I could have put money on her lunch account,” Tom told Today.com. “But it’s one of those little things I thought was important, that she knows somebody’s taking the time to take care of her.”
The small, daily gesture taught Megan an essential lesson in kindness.
The post reminded people how their fathers’ small acts of kindness meant so much to them. “My dad peeled my oranges until I graduated high school, too. Now, I peel my daughter’s oranges and will for the next 7 plus years,” Katie wrote in the comments. “Love this. My dad peeled mine, too. When I moved out, he gave me an orange peeler gadget,” Mary added.
O Organics has a wide array of foods and flavors covering almost everything on your shopping list.via Albertson's
Did you know that every time you go to the supermarket, you can also change the world through small gestures? O Organics not only allows you to feed your family delicious and nutritious organic food, but each purchase also gives back to help people and communities facing food insecurity.
Through contributions from customers like you, O Organics donates up to 28 million meals annually. The company’s contribution is essential when, according to the USDA, 47.4 million Americans live in food-insecure households.
O Organics has a wide array of foods and flavors covering almost everything on your shopping list. “Over the years, we have made organic foods more accessible by expanding O Organics to every aisle across our stores, making it possible for health and budget-conscious families to incorporate organic food into every meal,” Jennifer Saenz, EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer at Albertsons, one of many stores where you can find O Organics products, said in a statement.
O Organics now offers over 1500 items, from dairy products such as eggs and milk to packaged meats and breakfast staples such as cereal bars, granola and oatmeal. You can also enjoy affordable organic produce with O Organics’ fresh salads and fruit.
Everybody wants to make the world a better place. With O Organics, you can feed your family healthy, organic food every time you go to the market while paying it forward by contributing to the company’s efforts to end food insecurity nationwide. That’s a small, daily gesture that can amount to incredible change.
A young boy withdrawn from is mother.
There are countless reasons why having the ability to talk about your feelings is great for your mental health. One of the big ones is that discussing feelings helps us understand them better. It also prevents us from bottling up our emotions, which can lead to anxiety, depression, and unplanned emotional outburts, which can be incredibly destructive.
The problem is that at a young age, boys are told to bottle up their emotions, and they are frequently told that “boys don’t cry” or that they should “take it like a man” when they become upset. When men are faced with tremendous grief, such as the death of a friend or family member, they feel that they must “be strong” and show a brave face even though they might be dying inside. This can prevent them from ever completely coming to grips with their loss.
Male emotional repression is widespread, and every time a young boy is taught not to cry or talk about his feelings because it’s “girly,” we are creating mental health problems in real time. It also directly teaches the child how to emotionally withdraw from others and encourages them to develop unhealthy coping mechanisms.
A young boy sits with his feelings.via Canva/Photos
Dr. Sanam Hafeez, neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind, says that the most important sentence that parents need to tell their young sons, especially those in middle school, is: “Talking about your feelings is strong, not weak.”
Hafeez told PureWow the message needs to be shared consistently because “middle school boys often absorb societal messages that discourage emotional expression….[and] suppressing emotions can lead to stress, anxiety and difficulty forming healthy relationships.”
Another big reason boys should consistently be reminded to discuss their feelings is that they may not have many examples of healthy male emotional expression. Sure, they can see men fighting and shooting each other all day on TV, but how often do you see men being honest with their feelings?
“Men do not tell boys to talk about their feelings, and boys do not always see emotions demonstrated by men. Furthermore, they do not learn from men the benefits of emotional expression and how it makes them feel afterward,” Lisa Liggins-Chambers, Ph.D. writes at Psychology Today. Further, it’s also important to make boys aware of the peer pressure they may feel to repress their emotions and to bully other boys who express theirs. This can give them strength to push back against these unhealthy expectations.
From a parents’ perspective, it’s also essential to exhibit healthy listening skills so their child feels free to open up to them.
A mother and child disuss his feelings.via Canva/Photos
Here are five things to consider when your child discusses his feelings.
Ultimately, it is essential to understand that boys may be getting an unhealthy lesson about emotions from the kids at school or their family members. Parents tend to encourage their daughters to show their feelings naturally and should show the same consideration for their boys. By consistently reinforcing the idea that emotional expression is a strength, not a weakness, parents can help their sons develop emotional intelligence and resilience.
