PAWS FOR THOUGHT

Researchers in Florida, USA, have been trialling a novel treatment for dementia sufferers: interactive robot cats. People with dementia often suffer with depression and anxiety, but according to research published in Issues in Mental Health Nursing the fake felines not only improved the moods of their ‘owners’, but also had a positive impact on their cognitive abilities, including attention and language. The mechanised moggies had many of the benefits of real cats, but without any of the associated mess or gifts of traumatised mice.