What to know about - Therapy Cats

by Heddie Leger

Cats Can Be Therapeutic
Most people think dogs rule when it comes to being therapy animals, but roll over Rover. The cats are coming of age.  
Cats are often viewed as independent, untrainable, aloof and uncaring, however, cats are proving their worth in the field of Animal Assisted Therapy. They can be found visiting libraries as reading cats and good listeners, patients in the medical community find them a great comfort providing love, affection, and an animal that will give undivided attention. There are several breeds of cats and mixed breeds that are very loving and affectionate towards humans.

Animal Assisted Therapy
Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is the use of animals to help provide comfort to individuals with a variety of ailments. A team of doctors, nurses, and psychologists will review each patient and decide if a visit from an AAT pet will assist in recovery and then decide what animal will be best often at the request of the patient. This is found to be especially helpful in caring for hospice patients who often request a visit from a therapy animal as one of their last request. Dogs may be the most common pets used in AAT, but cats are beginning to catch up. There are even therapy horses, pigs and llamas.
You might ask why anyone would want to have a visit with a cat rather than a dog. Actually cat owners out number dog owners and if you ask a cat lover that has had the joy of owning a cat they will tell you why they prefer a cat over a dog. Many people find that after a long, hard day at work, the last thing they want to come home to is more work of walking, cleaning up after or chasing after an excited, jumping dog. Even the most people-loving of cats won’t be jumping up and knocking you over, or tripping you.

A cat is more likely to lightly hop into your lap allowing you the chance to pet away all your cares and worries. Cats can do the same for people confined to beds in nursing homes, children in libraries and a patient’s hospital bed. Many people have heard or read about Dewey, the library cat, a famous cat that had a reputation that lives on. This natural, soothing calmness of cats is used in places such as mental health and correctional facilities as caring for a pet (especially a cat) requires the creation and perpetuation of a daily routine. Simple daily responsibilities and tasks such as brushing out a long-haired cat can be a form of physical therapy or psychological therapy for many people. The size of a cat is ideal for many situations.

Qualifications
In order for a cat to become a therapy cat, there is a list of qualifications that must be met. An AAT cat must be at least one year old and have a very calm, non reactive and friendly personality. They don’t necessarily have to be affectionate, just that they have an affable and pleasant personality and must prove to be free of behaviors such as scratching and biting. Even the most pleasant of cats may not be cut out for the job. It is very important for you and your cat to get involved in a training program so that you can see how they will handle the exposure. Make sure you take your cat out frequently to expose your cat to a variety of different scenarios and people. It is best to visit with a middle aged cat as your cat will be exposed to a number of germs. Those that are middle aged are likely to remain healthier than old and young cats. A good training program will go over all of these things, as well as harness training, noise training and working with your cat to sit and lie quietly while being petted. Don’t overlook the possibility and opportunity of sharing this special time visiting others with your wonderful cat. Many people will be blessed and thank you for sharing your special cat with them.

Resources
Interested in learning more? Here are some website to check out.
• www.animalhumanesociety.org /training/therapy-animals
• www.sniksnak.com/therapy.html
• www.purringpost.com/?p=83