A Hampshire care home has welcomed a new resident – of the four-legged variety.

Cams Ridge in Fareham has adopted a three-year-old Tom cat from a local shelter, Second Chance Cats Portsmouth.

The move was prompted by residents, many of whom are animal lovers, with reminiscing about pets one of their biggest talking points.

The home’s official pet, called Tiger, is settling in well and loves snuggling up on residents’ laps.

He also has plenty of areas to explore in the home’s spacious, secure gardens, where residents can watch his antics from the home’s windows.

Sabina Stan, acting manager of the 51-bed home in Charlemont Drive, Portchester, said: “Pet therapy is known to prove extremely beneficial to care home residents.

“Regular visits by furry friends help people relax, provides comfort, increases mental stimulation, encourages memories and conversations, and bring a real sense of happiness.

“We now have taken this therapy a step further and adopted an official home cat so residents can have o the company of a pet every day.

“We decided that it would be nice to offer a loving home to a cat from a shelter that may not have had the best start in life.”

The home was vetted by the charity to decide which of its cats would be suitable.  Several were put forward and residents chose which one they liked best from a selection of photos.  They chose Tiger as he reminded many of pets they had when they were younger.

Sabina added: “He seems to have a sixth sense about where he is living.  He is really gentle and empathetic with the residents.”

Second Chance has been rescuing and rehoming cats and dogs in the Portsmouth area for 20 years.  It is important that its animals go to loving safe homes so onsite checks are a key part of its rehoming process. 

The charity always will try to help an animal in need and no animals are put to sleep unless they have a medical condition that makes that the kindest route for them.

Second Chance also re-unites lost animals with their owners and works to educate people about animal welfare.

Cams Ridge has received an overall good rating from the industry regulator, the Care Quality Commission, with its rigorous inspections focusing on safety, effectiveness, standards of care, responsiveness, and quality of management.