Therapy cat brings comfort to nursing facility residents

We'll have more on this story on Tuesday's Live at Five

When Jim Barbee first laid eyes on Princess Sugar Pie, he fell in love with her. She's a beautiful short-haired tortoise shell.

"I rescued her when she was a feral kitten," Jim says. "She was living underneath my condominium."

They have been together ever since. At home she acts like a regular cat who likes to run, jump, and play.

"She becomes strictly business when we put the costume on her," Jim says.

Sometimes Jim dresses her up like a cowgirl, with a hat and glasses. The cat has about a dozen other outfits for just about every holiday. Princess Sugar Pie definitely knows how to work a crowd.

"I think she likes it," Jim says. "She's become a little pet star."

Some of her biggest fans are residents at Signature Health's Pigeon Forge Care and Rehabilitation Center. The center is a skilled nursing facility that does short- and long-term care. Three years ago, Jim trained Sugar Pie to be a certified therapy animal.

"It gives me a lot of joy to take her places and see the people's reaction when they hold her and pet her," Jim says.

"The residents love her," Signature Health Quality of Life Director Glenda Trentham says. "You can see the reaction in their face, the smiles. It's actually reached people we couldn't get a reaction from."

Sugar Pie not only brings smiles to their faces, but just one visit from her improves their health.

"It is relaxing, it lowers their blood pressure, and it relieves stress," Trentham says.

For a few hours, Sugar Pie becomes like one of their own.

"So many of them don't have any pets anymore in these different homes, and they miss them," Jim says.

Princess Sugar Pie just seems to make the day sweeter for people she visits. For Jim, life is sweeter since he found her.