One of the best ‘employees’ at a Cleveland-based nursing home is a black and white cat named Oreo.
“She’s like our family here. She helps the residents, she helps the employees and we just love her,” said Carmen Delgado, a receptionist at St. Augustine Health Ministries.
The friendly feline was a stray who lived near the senior facility but decided to make it her home about five years ago, according to The Huffington Post. Oreo charmed the staff and residents so much that she is now everyone’s favorite at St. Augustine.
“I figured she can have me. I’m not her owner, but I like her,” said Susan Orwen, a resident.
St. Augustine cares for more than 200 residents, several of whom have had strokes or brain injuries. Most of the folks are too old for their own pet, which makes Oreo a perfection addition to the community.
The beloved cat loves lounging in front of the fireplace and strolling through the first floor. Staff said she isn’t allowed upstairs, so her many visitors come to her.
Since Oreo is a confidante to all, she often helps out at the receptionist desk and spends time with St. Augustine employees when they wait in the lobby for their rides home.
“I’m not sure if Oreo was in need of us, or we were in need of Oreo,” said St. Augustine’s director of advancement, Dana Carns. “But she’s a great addition to our family.”
Like a lot of families, St. Augustine’s has more than one pet. There’s also Coco the dog, but he isn’t as beloved as precious Oreo.
Carns said, “They both give residents something to look for, to care about, to love on.”
