When he turned 12 recently, he got what every cat dreams of: Many cans of tuna – as well as fan mail from all over the country, birthday cards, cat toys, and treats.
Harry has been a popular and permanent fixture at the hospital for about nine years.
“We spent the first year with Harry, who was about three at the time, trying to get him back home. He decided he’d like to live at the hospital and never left,” said primary carer, clinical manager of occupational therapy Cherie Porter.
The fluffy, long-haired moggy once belonged to a family who lived nearby, but they officially gifted Harry to the hospital after he decided that living there was more fun than going home.
Said Porter: “Harry is very good at finding the people who need him most. He is very tolerant, he often gets pestered multiple times a day by patients but he never hisses, or bites.”
Porter said Harry brings a sense of homeliness and reassurance to a traumatic and daunting situation, and he puts people at ease.
“Patients often try to find him during the day to pet, he’s become a source of motivation as well,” said Porter.
“He offers a sensory experience to those who have closed off parts of their emotional wellness,” Keown said.
Harry has also been featured in the Canterbury District Health Board’s online staff newsletters.
- To follow his antics, head to Harry the Burwood Hospital cat’s Facebook page
By Sasha Watson
