Purrfect Care at George’s House

Any pet owner knows…

those loving, furry companions can quickly become family. That’s what the cats, Cricket and Whisper, were to ‘John’ when the AHS Palliative Team referred him to George’s House (GH).

After years of addiction, homelessness, and involvement with the justice system, John had stabilized his life. He had an apartment and worked at the church that had been instrumental in his sobriety—and he gave two abandoned cats a loving home for over three years. Then John became too sick to live alone. Estranged from his family, his history and circumstances made him an appropriate referral to George’s House.

The transition was difficult though. As the GH team said, ‘his world revolved around his cats’ but allergy concerns and a busy workplace, meant the cats couldn’t be accommodated in the house. At first, John stayed a few nights then tried going back to the apartment to make sure the cats were looked after. Though supplied with an oxygen tank, he realized it was just too difficult.

Then Michelle Valiquette, George’s House Program Manager, came up with a unique solution: re-organize the storage in the garage and turn that into a temporary cat hostel. For John, realizing the cats could be near him was like winning the lottery. When he was still mobile, John went to the garage every day to spend time with his cats. The team pitched in. They put a love seat in the garage for him, brought his radio out, and donated a cat bed.

Even when John was bed bound, he focused on his cats. Every morning, he’d ring his bell asking to see Michelle. Would she look after Cricket and Whisper that day? (Michelle had formed a special bond with the cats which was rare because John had carefully trained them to hide from people for their safety). On the weekends, other staff would ensure the food and water that John provided was available, including bottled water.

John passed after three months but, during his time at George’s House, he touched everyone. The team describe him as one of the most kind, thoughtful, generous patients. At Christmas, despite having a limited income, he insisted on buying his co-residents gifts.

After John passed, the team kept looking after the Whisper and Cricket while organizing a new home for the pair. Finally, an adoption was arranged but there was a complication. Cricket, who avoided virtually all human contact, kept hiding in the garage. Finally, Lindy Dowhaniuk, Program Director, used her expertise in cat ‘whispering’ to coax Cricket to come out so she could join Whisper in their new home.

Thank you, George’s House, for this inspiring example of how a team can creatively and lovingly overcome barriers to serve the most vulnerable in our community.