Introducing Ollie The Cat this National Love Your Pet Day 2026

For National Love Your Pet Day 2026, we want to introduce one of our favourite four-legged housemates, Ollie Matthews. 

We pride ourselves on empowering the people we support, and since Ollie has joined the house, the support team have witnessed first hand how pets can transform wellbeing and said “he’s made a house a home”.

Before Ollie arrived, the support team spoke with the house about the responsibilities of owning a cat and what would need to be done daily. This then developed into a task list that each housemate agreed on, ranging from shopping for his food and cleaning his bowl to helping keep him calm during vet appointments.

Ollie is not just a cat but an important member of the house. Patricia has been feeding him daily and will let staff know when Ollie’s food is getting low. She shared, “I feel needed by him and I like having him to care for. It makes my home feel more homely.” She also told us how he helps her when she’s feeling anxious: “I love him so much. He sits on my lap, and I stroke and brush his fur. When I’m feeling anxious, I just cuddle him and I feel much better.”

Ollie’s other housemate, Sunil, said, “I like the responsibility,” and added, “When I stroke him, he holds onto my hands as if feeling safe...he gives me a sense of purpose”