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Training for Therapy Cats?
OK, I have a question, and I think this is probably the best place to ask
it. I just posted a little while ago about the two cats that I'm in the process of adopting from the local shelter. They're 9-month-old boy kitties and from all indications, they are VERY outgoing and affectionate. They are also going to be neutered prior to my receiving them. I love to watch Animal Planet, and occasionally there'll be a program that includes a story about a therapy animal: a dog, a cat, or some other type of animal that makes regularly scheduled visits to nursing homes or other facilities where residents don't often have the chance to interact with animals. So... has anyone got experience with having a pet trained and/or certified as a therapy animal? If these two cats have the disposition for it, there's nothing I would love more than to see them brighten people's day with a bit of kitty sunshine. All I need to do is find out what the requirements are and how to go about meeting them. Any and all info will be welcomed... BUT please don't send it to this email address! I've been using it for Usenet for too many years, and it's inundated with spam. Please respond to the address below in the signature file. Thanks! Donna and the soon-to-be-spoiled kitties -- Please send responses to Gabey8 *at* aol *dot* com |
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Okay, training a therapy cat. Required, outgoing, smart and willing to
be trained cats. Outgoing is very important too though. Did I mention willing to be trained? The first thing you need to get are harnesses they can't scooch out of. I use dog harnesses on my cats. The ones I use are also easier to get on and off the cat. The next thing you need are extendable leashes so when you take them for walks they get a bit more freedom but if you need to reign them in that sucker goes down to about 18 inches. Now that you have harnesses and leashes, start socializing them. Take them for walks to get used to noises, take them to friends who won't mind. Never miss a day to take them somewhere so they think it is ordinary to go out and meet new people. To transport them safely in the car, make the lease short, run it through itself and reconnect it to a cat while wrapping it around the head rest. leave it long enough to give them some room to move, but not enough to get off the seat. An alternative is to run it through an open windown then close the window tightening the leash in the window and keeping the cat safely secured. It may take a little while for them to become fearless, but with enough practice, they will if they have the right temperament. The next step is a thorough vet visit. An up-to-date rabies shot is required (and should already have been done), but you want to check for fleas, deworm and make sure there are no signs of ringworm. Essentially, you want a very clean bill of health. Once you have all of that, start talking with your local hospital, nursing home, childrens group homes, the possibilities are endless. Find someplace small to begin with though and introduce the cats there. The more often they go there, the more comfortable they will be with anyone who is there. Bridget - trainer of personal therapy cats dgabriel wrote: OK, I have a question, and I think this is probably the best place to ask it. I just posted a little while ago about the two cats that I'm in the process of adopting from the local shelter. They're 9-month-old boy kitties and from all indications, they are VERY outgoing and affectionate. They are also going to be neutered prior to my receiving them. I love to watch Animal Planet, and occasionally there'll be a program that includes a story about a therapy animal: a dog, a cat, or some other type of animal that makes regularly scheduled visits to nursing homes or other facilities where residents don't often have the chance to interact with animals. So... has anyone got experience with having a pet trained and/or certified as a therapy animal? If these two cats have the disposition for it, there's nothing I would love more than to see them brighten people's day with a bit of kitty sunshine. All I need to do is find out what the requirements are and how to go about meeting them. Any and all info will be welcomed... BUT please don't send it to this email address! I've been using it for Usenet for too many years, and it's inundated with spam. Please respond to the address below in the signature file. Thanks! Donna and the soon-to-be-spoiled kitties |
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Thank you! I e-mailed your response to myself so I could save it, and I'll
do my best to see that the kitties are well socialized. And there's a PetSmart not far from here, where I will be able to get my hands on harnesses, leashes, and any other supplies I might need to transport the cats. Plus, that might be a good site to bring them along and have them meet plenty of people, experience new smells, sounds, sights, etc. If they're as outgoing on a regular basis as they were when I met them at the shelter, they'll soak up every bit of the attention. ) Thanks again. Donna |
#4
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In article
outpets.com, "Gabey8" gabey8-@-aol-dot-com (formerly dgabriel-at-netaxs-dot-com) wrote: Thank you! I e-mailed your response to myself so I could save it, and I'll do my best to see that the kitties are well socialized. And there's a PetSmart not far from here, where I will be able to get my hands on harnesses, leashes, and any other supplies I might need to transport the cats. Plus, that might be a good site to bring them along and have them meet plenty of people, experience new smells, sounds, sights, etc. If they're as outgoing on a regular basis as they were when I met them at the shelter, they'll soak up every bit of the attention. ) Thanks again. Donna Once things get a little calmer here, I am going to volunteer Mr. Clark and Rhonda for pet therapy through the local Animal Welfare Society, which has regular programs. Ding, I suspect, is just too shy. Mr. Clark is extremely sensitive and supportive, loves two- and four-legged children, and is well known to detect an upset human, jump on their lap, put a paw on each shoulder, and cover their face with kisses. This is quite noticeable from a 17-pound cat! I do have to get him some dental work, as his breath is rather bad. The gums aren't sore, but visibly red. This is the altered male that came home at an estimate 3 years with the two kittens, and, aside from immediately taking over their grooming, permitted them to nurse on him. He did look rather martyred during the process. He would also let Ding ride horseback on him. Rhonda may or may not have the right personality. She is much more the drama queen and clown, and isn't quite as cuddly...or perhaps it's more she prefers to make the rounds of everyone in sigt. |
#5
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Howard Berkowitz wrote:
This is the altered male that came home at an estimate 3 years with the two kittens, and, aside from immediately taking over their grooming, permitted them to nurse on him. He did look rather martyred during the process. He would also let Ding ride horseback on him. It's so sweet when boycats do that. Frank allowed Nikki to nurse on him when she was a kitten. After his initial shock, and a look at me to see if it was alright, he settled down to groom her and purr in time with her purrs. -- Marina, Frank and Nikki marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki |
#6
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"Gabey8" gabey8-@-aol-dot-com (formerly dgabriel-at-netaxs-dot-com) wrote
in message lkaboutpets.com... Thank you! I e-mailed your response to myself so I could save it, and I'll do my best to see that the kitties are well socialized. And there's a PetSmart not far from here, where I will be able to get my hands on harnesses, leashes, and any other supplies I might need to transport the cats. Plus, that might be a good site to bring them along and have them meet plenty of people, experience new smells, sounds, sights, etc. If they're as outgoing on a regular basis as they were when I met them at the shelter, they'll soak up every bit of the attention. ) Thanks again. Donna I now put Sammy in her halter and leash and take her with me every time I go to PetsMart. She sits in the child seat of the basket and rides all around the store looking at the tropical fish, birds, and mice. She wonders why I show her all that fresh food but won't let her eat!!! ; Every person in the store has to stop and give her pettings, scritches, and exclaim how big she is, how soft she is, how good she is to sit in the basket quietly. Hugs, CatNipped |
#7
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On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 23:39:29 -0500, "Gabey8" gabey8-@-aol-dot-com
(formerly dgabriel-at-netaxs-dot-com) wrote: Thank you! I e-mailed your response to myself so I could save it, and I'll do my best to see that the kitties are well socialized. And there's a PetSmart not far from here, where I will be able to get my hands on harnesses, leashes, and any other supplies I might need to transport the cats. Plus, that might be a good site to bring them along and have them meet plenty of people, experience new smells, sounds, sights, etc. If they're as outgoing on a regular basis as they were when I met them at the shelter, they'll soak up every bit of the attention. ) Our two kitties were EXTREMELY affectionate at the shelter but that was just becuase they were desperate to get out of their cage. Their temperaments changed once they got home and realised that this was their forever home. They're still sweet and lovable, but they wouldn't make a therapy cat like I thought they might... for one thing they're scared of other people and they HATE being transported ~Karen aka Kajikit Lover of fine chocolate, fun crafts, and furry felines http://www.kajikitscorner.com *remove 'nospam' to reply |
#8
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In article , Karen AKA
Kajikit wrote: On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 23:39:29 -0500, "Gabey8" gabey8-@-aol-dot-com (formerly dgabriel-at-netaxs-dot-com) wrote: Thank you! I e-mailed your response to myself so I could save it, and I'll do my best to see that the kitties are well socialized. And there's a PetSmart not far from here, where I will be able to get my hands on harnesses, leashes, and any other supplies I might need to transport the cats. Plus, that might be a good site to bring them along and have them meet plenty of people, experience new smells, sounds, sights, etc. If they're as outgoing on a regular basis as they were when I met them at the shelter, they'll soak up every bit of the attention. ) Our two kitties were EXTREMELY affectionate at the shelter but that was just becuase they were desperate to get out of their cage. Their temperaments changed once they got home and realised that this was their forever home. They're still sweet and lovable, but they wouldn't make a therapy cat like I thought they might... for one thing they're scared of other people and they HATE being transported That's a good point. I am confident that Mr. Clark has the right personality traits, as he seems to sense the most upset person in a room and go directly to them. When a 17 pound cat gets on one's lap, stands, puts a paw on each shoulder, makes eye contact, and industriously starts licking one's face, the message is clear. Rhonda seems more just to like attention, and she will clown. At the shelter, however, when they opened the cage, she stormed out (her sister could care less), surged into my arms and insisted on bathing my nose. Of the three, she's now the least frequent kisser. |
#9
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The daughter of a friend of mine found two newborn kitties and brought them
home one didn't survive but their dog which had recently had pups suckled the other oneand it thrived Simone {kitten} grew up to be Pebbles {dog}best freind and they lived together many years/ Jean.P. Marina wrote in message ... Howard Berkowitz wrote: This is the altered male that came home at an estimate 3 years with the two kittens, and, aside from immediately taking over their grooming, permitted them to nurse on him. He did look rather martyred during the process. He would also let Ding ride horseback on him. It's so sweet when boycats do that. Frank allowed Nikki to nurse on him when she was a kitten. After his initial shock, and a look at me to see if it was alright, he settled down to groom her and purr in time with her purrs. -- Marina, Frank and Nikki marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki |
#10
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In article , "Jean Hobbs"
wrote: The daughter of a friend of mine found two newborn kitties and brought them home one didn't survive but their dog which had recently had pups suckled the other oneand it thrived Simone {kitten} grew up to be Pebbles {dog}best freind and they lived together many years/ Jean.P. Marina wrote in message ... Howard Berkowitz wrote: This is the altered male that came home at an estimate 3 years with the two kittens, and, aside from immediately taking over their grooming, permitted them to nurse on him. He did look rather martyred during the process. He would also let Ding ride horseback on him. It's so sweet when boycats do that. Frank allowed Nikki to nurse on him when she was a kitten. After his initial shock, and a look at me to see if it was alright, he settled down to groom her and purr in time with her purrs. -- Marina, Frank and Nikki marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki Apparently, the suckling reflex in dogs is so strong that they often will start to lactate when presented with puppies OR kittens. |
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