Cat therapy, dementia & cafes in Devon

During our holiday in Devon this summer, we stumbled across a quirky cafe in Totnes.

Totnes Cats Cafe was opened in June by former wildlife hospital owner Liz Dyas.

It took its lead from the world’s first cat cafe which opened in Taipei, Taiwan back in 1998.

At Totnes Cats Cafe, customers pay by the hour to relax with a drink and a cat to stroke; an interesting blend of pet rental and pet therapy, with coffee thrown in to the mix.

For a town known for its holistic therapy, organic food and independent retailers, perhaps the launch of a cats cafe should have come as no surprise.

Sadly it was closed on the day we visited Totnes, and our own kittens back home might have been a little jealous if we had gone in!

When browsing the headlines this morning, another cafe opening in Devon caught my eye.

The Memory Cafe in Plymouth has opened as a cafe for sufferers of dementia, in particular military veterans.

Open every other Tuesday, it has been launched by The Alzheimer’s Society working with the Plymouth Drake Foundation.

The Memory Cafe is designed to serve a number of purposes. This includes reducing social isolation through the provision of a regular meeting place for people living with dementia, as well as their carers.

It will also provide a place for support and information about dementia.

Here in Surrey, dementia is a growing challenge for families, individuals and organisations.

Next week I will be attending the Cranleigh Community Meeting of Dementia Friendly Surrey, to find out more about this important partnership project to develop dementia friendly communities across Surrey.

Dementia Friendly Surrey aims to build supportive communities where people with dementia, their families and carers are understood, valued and can enjoy life.

By virtue of our ageing population and a big projected rise in cases of dementia, I suspect we will see the opening for more venues in support of people with neurodegenerative diseases.

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