Pawfect Resident Welcomed at Mercy Place Lathlain

The latest resident to move into Mercy Place Lathlain has four paws, long whiskers and a huge amount of love to give, according to his best friend Noel Van Sandwyk.

Jimmy the cat, who was rescued by Mr Van Sandwyk from the Cat Haven in Shenton Park four years ago, has moved into the not-for-profit aged care home with his owner and has become a household hit.

“Jimmy is my best friend and all the nurses love him. They don’t come into my room to visit me, they just want to see him,” laughs 90-year-old Mr Van Sandwyk.

“My wife passed away about five years ago, and I adopted him to help fill the huge gap in my life. He was very timid at first and didn’t want to be patted, but after about a month he really came out of his shell, and now he’s the most loving cat I’ve ever owned.

“I take him for a walk around the gardens every morning, but other than that he just wants to stay in my room, and he sleeps at the bottom of my bed every night. He makes a huge difference to my life and I couldn’t have imagined leaving him behind when it was time for me to move into residential care.”

Mercy Place Mont Lathlain Service Manager, Surabh Nair, says while the home was not able to take in every new resident’s pet, the bond between Mr Van Sandwyk and Jimmy was particularly special.

“Mercy Place Lathlain already has two cats, but when we saw Jimmy’s beautiful nature and how all he wants to do is stay by his owner’s side, we could see that welcoming him to our home was absolutely the right thing to do,” Mr Nair says.

“And it hasn’t taken very long for everyone to fall in love with him. He’s become a much-loved resident and has had a hugely positive impact on our staff as well as other residents.

“At the end of the day, most homes have a pet and we’re really focused on creating a warm and comfortable environment at Mercy Place Lathlain, as well as making sure our residents are happy and still have access to everything they love.”

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