Coffee, Cake and Curious Donkeys: Catherine House Visits Kelly’s Donkeys

Family members, fondly referred to as residents, from Catherine House Care Home in Frome enjoyed getting up close and cuddly with Donkeys during their recent visit to Kelly’s Donkeys in nearby Beckington.

Rather than watching from a distance, the afternoon gave family members the chance to meet the donkeys in their own surroundings. As Kelly’s Donkey’s has specially trained assisted therapy donkeys who love attention and are very gentle, everyone was welcomed to sit inside the Donkey pen with coffee and cake while the animals wandered around them, nuzzling them with their noses and saying hello!

There was hay for feeding, brushes for grooming and carrots to tempt the slightly more timid donkeys to come closer. Some were keen to be stroked, while others happily stood as they were brushed.

Family member Ruby had never visited Kelly’s Donkeys before and was impressed by how friendly and well behaved the animals were. She also met some new people, had a good chat and described her cup of tea as “the best cuppa” she had enjoyed in a long time.

Another family member, Dorothy, was given a carrot to encourage one of the donkeys over so she could brush it. When Catherine House team member Sharon called the animal a “good girl”, Dorothy took a closer look and quickly corrected her, turns out it was not a girl at all!

Elsewhere in the pen, Liza happily brushed the donkeys and praised the coffee-making skills of the team at Kelly’s. Nora described the day as “fantastic”, while Janet’s verdict was simple, she wanted to know when they would be coming back for another visit.

Royston had plenty of questions about the donkeys’ ages and backgrounds, taking the opportunity to learn more about them while the others carried on feeding and grooming.

The visit was the perfect opportunity to get out and about, try something a little different and spend time in the local community. On the journey home, there was plenty of conversation about donkeys and other farm animals, with many family members already looking forward to the next trip.

To find out more about activities and events at Catherine House Care Home, please visit

https://catherinehousecarehome.com/activities-in-care-frome-care-home/