I think it would be a marvelous idea!!!! It has been proven time and time again that pets can bring well-being to the sick and elderly and speed up the healing process.

As for what, I would suggest a quiet adult kitty. I'm sure you can find one at your local shelter. Kittens get into too much mischief to be left alone. I don't know much about breeds, but I would think it shouldn't matter, it's the personality of the cat that you have to look at. Shelters around here don't usually have pedigrees; it's the Heinz 57's that show up.

Good luck and please keep us posted.