It’s happy hour at The Fountains at Boca Ciega Bay, a St. Petersburg retirement community. Seven older adults circle around a table, red wine and sodas in hand.⁠ ⁠ On the countertop, lined up as if in a processional, sit a group of seven cats and dogs. From a stone’s throw away, they look like stuffed animals.⁠ ⁠ But then one of the dogs, Buddy, turns his head and barks. A pale gray cat named Izzy rolls over on her back and says, “I love you.”⁠ ⁠ At the dawn of the pandemic, Florida employed an unlikely tool to help isolated older adults fight loneliness and memory loss: robot pets.⁠ ⁠ Now, they're being used to help nursing home residents find connection and friendship.⁠ ⁠ Read more at the link in our bio.⁠ ⁠ ✍️ : Hannah Critchfield; 📷 : @angelica_edwards2 / Tampa Bay Times