Therapy Cats

[Desertmouse]

So I’m over st the assisted living home where I volunteer and one of the residents has been talking about how much so misses her cats who have passed. It made me wonder about therapy cats. Does anyone know how you find someone who has a therapy cat? Is it even a possibility for a place with only 3 residents or do you need more people to hire? (Is that the right word here?) one? It would be so wonderful to bring over a cat or kitten for a few hours for her birthday or something like that, but well, these are cats not bubble machines. You don’t go out and rent one for the day (and honestly I would be upset if you could). She has a hard time traveling so taking her somewhere to visit cats would be hard. Does anyone have any ideas?

Has anyone ever had a therapy cat before? How does a cat become a therapy cat?

 

[Lilacat >(^.^)<]

A neighbour's husband had a terrible stroke, & is now in the extended care at the hospital. She is allowed to bring their dog & cat in to visit as that's what he remembers.

 

[catlover73]

When my grandma was in assisted living she kept telling my mom how much she missed her cat. Her cat had passed away years before she was in assisted living. The facility did allow the residents to have pets but my grandma had health issues. The staff and my parents had concerns about safety issues with her having a cat living with her. My parents adult cat did not travel well. I had two cats that were kittens at this time. I brought them individually to visit her. She loved it and they loved hanging out with her. They would hang out in her lap and cuddle. We would also bring toys so she could play with them. She was so happy when my babies would visit her. She was happy to spend time with my babies and realized on her own that adopting her own cat at that time would not work. She got her cat fix by spending time with my babies. She would even have my parents bring her new toys for my babies to play with when they visited her. My babies had their own drawer in her room for their toys and treats. My grandma passed years ago but I will always treasure these memories.

 

[Desertmouse]

Aww that is so sweet guys. I don’t think my cat would put up with it well, she’s around 12 or 14 and not that fond of traveling....... I wonder if a rescue would let me steal a kitten (one that has been vet approved) or two for a day.....this poor lady’s family lives out of state. I’ve been helping out her for almost two years and I haven’t seen them. She does have a girlfriend, but I doubt she would bring a kitten for her....

 

[DreamerRose]

Desertmouse - I was just thinking the same thing about bringing a rescue cat in. The people at the shelter could advise you on which cat was sociable and gentle enough for you to bring. Hospitals require therapy dogs to be recently bathed and groomed before bringing them in, so I don't know how that would work with a cat. In this spring shedding season, you would for sure have to comb and brush the cat thoroughly so cat fur wouldn't be floating everywhere, especially around people with difficulties breathing. Why don't you discuss it with the administrator at the nursing home?

 

[Desertmouse]

Desertmouse - I was just thinking the same thing about bringing a rescue cat in. The people at the shelter could advise you on which cat was sociable and gentle enough for you to bring. Hospitals require therapy dogs to be recently bathed and groomed before bringing them in, so I don't know how that would work with a cat. In this spring shedding season, you would for sure have to comb and brush the cat thoroughly so cat fur wouldn't be floating everywhere, especially around people with difficulties breathing. Why don't you discuss it with the administrator at the nursing home?

I think I’m going to! Thanks!

 

[sabrinah]

Other people have managed therapy cats, so there's hope!
Rescue Cat Visits Hospital To Help All The Patients Feel Safe

Just in case the shelter doesn't let you borrow a kitty, here are a few organizations I found that have a variety of therapy animals available
Pet Partners.org - Therapy Pets & Animal Assisted Activities
Love on a Leash
mvPTa | Miami Valley Pet Therapy Association

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Desertmouse - I was just thinking the same thing about bringing a rescue cat in. The people at the shelter could advise you on which cat was sociable and gentle enough for you to bring. Hospitals require therapy dogs to be recently bathed and groomed before bringing them in, so I don't know how that would work with a cat. In this spring shedding season, you would for sure have to comb and brush the cat thoroughly so cat fur wouldn't be floating everywhere, especially around people with difficulties breathing. Why don't you discuss it with the administrator at the nursing home?

Sociable and gentle and not easily spooked by sudden or strange sounds, depending on the facility they are visiting - good points! Some elderly patients have a hard time recovering from even small cat scratches or claw pokes that might inadvertently occur, so you have to have a cat that is really born for the role of a therapy cat in this case.

TCS has an article, too
Therapy Cats

 

[Desertmouse]

Other people have managed therapy cats, so there's hope!
Rescue Cat Visits Hospital To Help All The Patients Feel Safe

Just in case the shelter doesn't let you borrow a kitty, here are a few organizations I found that have a variety of therapy animals available
Pet Partners.org - Therapy Pets & Animal Assisted Activities
Love on a Leash
mvPTa | Miami Valley Pet Therapy Association

Oh my gosh this is just what I was looking for! You are amazing

 

[tarasgirl06]

Yes, I would think different facilities have different rules and requirements -- some do not allow at all, some allow 1 as long as resident can properly care for, and so on. Using your search engine should yield a lot of listings. A dear friend of ours in Vancouver did this in the past. I'm not sure whether only one cat, or more than one, was involved, but it was something she loved doing. It is SO important for people in assisted living communities to be treated with respect and caring, and to have connections with those they love most -- who are often cats. Big props to you!!!

 

[Purr-fect]

Years ago I tried to arrange this for seniors homes accross toronto.

My plan was to have the cat sponsored by a vet. The vet or clinic would do the medical care of the animal. In return the vet clinic would be allowed to post a notice in the lobby of the seniors home stating they were sponsoring the kitty and show their business contact info for advertising. The home would be responsibke for food, kitty litter ect.

I was told unions would object because it would increase the work load of its workers in the homes and that it simply woildnt happen.

I 3nded up borrowing the neighbours siberian husky and tookmher numerous times to the home my mother stayed in before she passed away.

One xmas, I put reindeer antlers on sabrina, the husky, and took residents pictures with her if they wanted. I bought pic frames from the dollar store, framed the pics and gave them to the residents.

Sabrina wasnt specially trained, just a sweet, gentle and patient dog.

If I end up in a home, I sure want it to have at , east one free roaming cat or dog.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Years ago I tried to arrange this for seniors homes accross toronto.

My plan was to have the cat sponsored by a vet. The vet or clinic would do the medical care of the animal. In return the vet clinic would be allowed to post a notice in the lobby of the seniors home stating they were sponsoring the kitty and show their business contact info for advertising. The home would be responsibke for food, kitty litter ect.

I was told unions would object because it would increase the work load of its workers in the homes and that it simply woildnt happen.

I 3nded up borrowing the neighbours siberian husky and tookmher numerous times to the home my mother stayed in before she passed away.

One xmas, I put reindeer antlers on sabrina, the husky, and took residents pictures with her if they wanted. I bought pic frames from the dollar store, framed the pics and gave them to the residents.

Sabrina wasnt specially trained, just a sweet, gentle and patient dog.

If I end up in a home, I sure want it to have at , east one free roaming cat or dog.

*GOOD ON YA* for trying to get this done, although I see their point and would never want anyone whose heart wasn't in it to be allowed to participate in the care of a cat. I personally wouldn't want a dog, as I don't like dogs, but a cat would definitely be a big, big plus!

 

[Desertmouse]

Years ago I tried to arrange this for seniors homes accross toronto.

My plan was to have the cat sponsored by a vet. The vet or clinic would do the medical care of the animal. In return the vet clinic would be allowed to post a notice in the lobby of the seniors home stating they were sponsoring the kitty and show their business contact info for advertising. The home would be responsibke for food, kitty litter ect.

I was told unions would object because it would increase the work load of its workers in the homes and that it simply woildnt happen.

I 3nded up borrowing the neighbours siberian husky and tookmher numerous times to the home my mother stayed in before she passed away.

One xmas, I put reindeer antlers on sabrina, the husky, and took residents pictures with her if they wanted. I bought pic frames from the dollar store, framed the pics and gave them to the residents.

Sabrina wasnt specially trained, just a sweet, gentle and patient dog.

If I end up in a home, I sure want it to have at , east one free roaming cat or dog.

That is so sweet! And really such a good idea.

This case is a little different. This is more of a normal home in the suburbs, a 5 bedroom house that is like one of three models that is built in the sub division. Before moving to AZ I didn’t even know this was a thing, but there are a lot here. Each of these assisted living homes have a certain number of people they are allowed to have (from what I saw, between 4 to 6) and have a caregiver who lives with them and does the cooking and cleaning and whatnot. In this one the owner is acting as car giver, but before she had someone come in for the day and she would be there in the evening. There was a problem and she had to let her go and is trying to do everything herself, and needs as much help as I can give her.

Anyways, my point is the “staff” is one, maybe two people. The owner is slightly allergic so letting pets stay isn’t possible but she is alright with family bringing dogs to visit so I believe having me bring a kitten over for a few hours should be alright if I can find the right one, one that is gentle. I tried calling the shelter but they said they don’t do that so the next step is calling different recuses.

 

[tarasgirl06]

That is so sweet! And really such a good idea.

This case is a little different. This is more of a normal home in the suburbs, a 5 bedroom house that is like one of three models that is built in the sub division. Before moving to AZ I didn’t even know this was a thing, but there are a lot here. Each of these assisted living homes have a certain number of people they are allowed to have (from what I saw, between 4 to 6) and have a caregiver who lives with them and does the cooking and cleaning and whatnot. In this one the owner is acting as car giver, but before she had someone come in for the day and she would be there in the evening. There was a problem and she had to let her go and is trying to do everything herself, and needs as much help as I can give her.

Anyways, my point is the “staff” is one, maybe two people. The owner is slightly allergic so letting pets stay isn’t possible but she is alright with family bringing dogs to visit so I believe having me bring a kitten over for a few hours should be alright if I can find the right one, one that is gentle. I tried calling the shelter but they said they don’t do that so the next step is calling different recuses.

In CA they are called Board & Care Homes. They can be excellent if they have the right owner and staff, but one person doing everything is a recipe for disaster, so I hope they are able to find some caring and qualified staff very soon. Just a suggestion: Best Friends Animal Society, based in Kanab, UT, but with well over 200 participating rescue/humane facilities nationwide, does excellent work with their residents and they may be able to either hook you up with the perfect cat, or refer you to facilities where you might be more easily able to find one. Their main website is BestFriends.org and their personnel are WONDERFUL.

 

[Desertmouse]

Thank you! I will try that!

 

[lordofspiders]

Desertmouse - I was just thinking the same thing about bringing a rescue cat in. The people at the shelter could advise you on which cat was sociable and gentle enough for you to bring. Hospitals require therapy dogs to be recently bathed and groomed before bringing them in, so I don't know how that would work with a cat. In this spring shedding season, you would for sure have to comb and brush the cat thoroughly so cat fur wouldn't be floating everywhere, especially around people with difficulties breathing. Why don't you discuss it with the administrator at the nursing home?

Despite an assisted living residence Not allowing animals (small pets)- if a Psychiatrist diagnosis an elder with depression, and indicates a pet is necessary for that persons quality of life, the residence must follow ADA rules, and allow a depressed patient to have a pet. The caveat would be, there must be someone to take the animal (bird, cat, or dog -usually below 20lbs), if the elder becomes unable to care for it. A pet acting as a positive influence on a depressed elder, can greatly increase their quality of life. A Psychiatric diagnosis of Depression & a recommendation for a pet as the best medicine-typically cannot be denied-even in homes that don't normally allow animals. Small dogs are often recommended-to provide both company, and inspire the elder client to walk about more, walk outside (if safe for them), movement which may be hard to get going, but a pet in need is inspiring to the elder..once one gets moving, joints become more limber, there's less concentration by the elder on what they can't do--as they are distracted in a needy way by the small dog. This has to be a case by case basis...but it IS the Law...if a doctor prescribes a companion..with a specific diagnosis-for doing so. ADA=American Disabilities Act.

 

[catlover73]

In the first assisted living facility my grandma was in they did have a resident cat and a dog. The volunteer staff at the facility fed the cat and did litter box duties. They also fed, walked and played with the dog. The staff also did interact with the pets. I went to visit the cat one time in the community room and she jumped off the receptionists desk to come visit me. If the residents wanted visits from the community pets they would leave their doors open to allow the pets access. There was a lady on my grandma's floor that was really bonded to the cat. She had a food/water bowl, litter box and toys in her room for the cat. I was told by a staff member that the cat often spent the night in this resident's room. The resident had family members that visited daily. They took care of the food/water and litter box duties in the residents room.

 

[Desertmouse]

Despite an assisted living residence Not allowing animals (small pets)- if a Psychiatrist diagnosis an elder with depression, and indicates a pet is necessary for that persons quality of life, the residence must follow ADA rules, and allow a depressed patient to have a pet. The caveat would be, there must be someone to take the animal (bird, cat, or dog -usually below 20lbs), if the elder becomes unable to care for it. A pet acting as a positive influence on a depressed elder, can greatly increase their quality of life. A Psychiatric diagnosis of Depression & a recommendation for a pet as the best medicine-typically cannot be denied-even in homes that don't normally allow animals. Small dogs are often recommended-to provide both company, and inspire the elder client to walk about more, walk outside (if safe for them), movement which may be hard to get going, but a pet in need is inspiring to the elder..once one gets moving, joints become more limber, there's less concentration by the elder on what they can't do--as they are distracted in a needy way by the small dog. This has to be a case by case basis...but it IS the Law...if a doctor prescribes a companion..with a specific diagnosis-for doing so. ADA=American Disabilities Act.

I didn’t know that, thank you!

In the first assisted living facility my grandma was in they did have a resident cat and a dog. The volunteer staff at the facility fed the cat and did litter box duties. They also fed, walked and played with the dog. The staff also did interact with the pets. I went to visit the cat one time in the community room and she jumped off the receptionists desk to come visit me. If the residents wanted visits from the community pets they would leave their doors open to allow the pets access. There was a lady on my grandma's floor that was really bonded to the cat. She had a food/water bowl, litter box and toys in her room for the cat. I was told by a staff member that the cat often spent the night in this resident's room. The resident had family members that visited daily. They took care of the food/water and litter box duties in the residents room.

That sounds like the perfect situation. I wish more places would do this, it can be so helpful. It’s so sad that the owner is allergic, if she wasn’t I would start giving her research on how helpful it is lol of course then she would probably get feed up with me, but still!

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

My dad spent some time in a nursing home. He missed his cats really bad. Because they were not current on their medical care, I couldn't take one of his cats to see him. But I had a cat who I knew could be trusted. I asked the nursing home and they gave me permission to bring him along with proof of his up to date shots. I bought a collar and a leash, put him in the carrier and we visited my dad. When I walked into his room with the cat carrier, the look on my Dad's face was priceless. I will never forget.

 

[DreamerRose]

My dad spent some time in a nursing home. He missed his cats really bad. Because they were not current on their medical care, I couldn't take one of his cats to see him. But I had a cat who I knew could be trusted. I asked the nursing home and they gave me permission to bring him along with proof of his up to date shots. I bought a collar and a leash, put him in the carrier and we visited my dad. When I walked into his room with the cat carrier, the look on my Dad's face was priceless. I will never forget.

That's so sweet. I recently had to spend some time in the hospital and a nursing home, and I missed my kitties terribly. You did a wonderful thing for your Dad.