I just learned there is a bell-shaped curve on the age of adoption of stuffed animals. The young have always loved them and now people on the older end of the age spectrum are adopting them as well.

Many older adults continue to have cherished live pets–in a single-family home and in retirement communities. In fact, in recent years, most retirement communities, including assisted independent living, have dramatically loosened the restrictions on pets.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Robots are increasingly replicating more and more lifelike human behavior, but can they imitate animals? This is a different twist on robotic pets and scientists say they can serve as friends and therapy aids to the growing elderly population.

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***This story and video originally ran/aired on USA Today. It’s reposted here with permission.***

Brooklyn resident Marilyn Stone* isn’t your typical early tech adopter. She’s 95 years old, can’t see or hear very well anymore, and grew up in a time when the hottest new gadgets around were toaster ovens and zippers. Today? She’s not sure what she would do without her Amazon Echo smart speaker.

Here, robo kitty!

When elderly clients of the Bronx-based RiverSpring Health Plans are feeling low, they might get a cat in their lap — a robotic cat that is.

Susan Garelick, 66, did. After she said goodbye forever to her 14-year-old feline two years ago, she was lonely and depressed.

Those ages 50 and older in the U.S. generate $7.6 trillion in economic activity, according to AARP, representing a huge financial force. That trend will grow as the number of older adults more than doubles by 2050, representing over 20% of the population.