Prison Takes In Shelter Cats To Rescue Them, But The Cats End Up Rescuing The Inmates Too

Oct 04, 2019 by apost team

In a match that has served both parties well, Indiana's Pendleton Correctional Facility has served as a matchmaker between prisoners and cats through the F.O.R.W.A.R.D. program that has been in place since 2015. The cats and prisoners both receive care and bonding that they might not have otherwise experienced.

Having cats around not only improves people's mental health but also their physical health reported NBC. Many of these prisoners have not experienced caring and unconditional relationships at any point in their lives until they've bonded with these cats. Having cats around also gives them a sense of responsibility that they may not have experienced elsewhere as they feed and groom them and build furniture and toys for their new friends.

apost.com

Some prisoners have reported that being involved in programs such as these has allowed them to feel like they're allowed to care for somebody for the first time as they had always previously felt like they had to block off that part of their heart for one reason or another according to the Huffington Post.

It's also been shown by a similar program called Purrfect Pals that having this outlet for love and care that prisoners are generally not able to safely experience while in prison settings have resulted in lower instances of idleness and an increased level of calmness and a strengthening of the prison's community spirit, all vital for the safety of the facility.

Of course, the benefits that the cats receive should not be overlooked. This program gives them an opportunity to interact with people much more significantly than they likely would be able to while in a shelter. This not only allows them to be happier, but it also makes them more adoptable, more apt to experience this type of love and care on a long-term basis. This is important as about 70 million stray cats prowl the streets and other areas of the country according to National Geographic. Being able to provide them with companionship while also helping improve the mental state of prisoners is a win-win solution for both sides.

Do you own a cat or know somebody who does? What are the benefits that you've seen of how they can impact the lives of those they spend time around? What do you think about them and prisoners bonding?