That's where the birds come in. As pets, parakeets are lively, responsive and bond with their owners. At Chase Memorial, those who didn't want a parakeet soon changed their minds. Dogs and cats are important members of the Eden Alternative home. Eden homes report that people respond warmly, and sometimes surprisingly, to cats and dogs.
Pets get people talking, and involved in their environment.
How another woman, who had partial paralysis, moved her hand to stroke a cat. In the United States, two highly segregated populations are children and elders. Children are sent off to schools with their peers. Elders are sent to nursing homes full of their peers. The Eden Alternative home strives to keep the family together.