Flash the therapy cat brings joy to nursing home residents
Research has shown that cats have healing powers. Not only does petting a cat lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart attack, the cat’s purr can actually heal muscles, tendons and bones. Those of us who share our lives with cats don’t need research studies to prove that a purring cat in our lap or by our side can make all the world’s problems seem a little bit less daunting.
Some cats share these healing powers with a wider audience than just their human family members. Therapy cats bring comfort and joy to nursing home residents and others who are unable to keep their own pets. They provide a much needed break in the daily routine for facility residents and staff alike.
The most famous nursing home cat is probably Oscar, the subject of the book Making Rounds with Oscar – The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat. Oscar, who lives in a nursing home in Rhode Island, can predict when a resident is about to die, and stays with the patient for his or her final hours.
I’d like to introduce you to a therapy cat in Ohio, who, at only 4 years of age, has already accomplished quite a lot!
Flash’s human Jaetta Hall rescued Flash when he was a 4-month-old barn kitty. She started showing him in cat shows in the household pet category. He really enjoyed himself, and did well, but he also got pretty bored with the process. Flash loves people, and there wasn’t enough of a chance to interact with them at the cat shows.
Hall knew that he was special, so she started looking into getting him certified as a therapy cat. She worked with the Indianapolis chapter of a group called Love on a Leash. They provide training, evaluation and certification procedures for therapy pets and their owners.
Flash passed his certification with flying colors, and now visits a nursing home every week. He has definitely found his calling.
In addition to his nursing home visits, Flash and Jaetta will begin working together to raise money for local animal rescue groups. Flash would also like to support service dogs by raising money for vests for them.
Sweet!
Flash sounds like he’s following his life path! I wish more people would do this with cats. I know when I took a few of my cats to visit the personal care facilities where my mother lived there were so many ladies who had had to give up their kitties and they just loved being able to have a kitty on their lap. And some, my mother included, were a little frightened of dogs because their vision was poor enough and they were just unsteady enough that a big friendly dog seemed threatening.
I should talk–I should get on the ball with this myself!
Which of your cats would have the right kind of personality to do this, Bernadette?
I love hearing about therapy cats and hope that this is a trend that grows.
Me, too, Peg!
What an amazing story! I was excited to read about a therapy cat, as you mostly hear about therapy dogs. I am an Occupational Therapist and am looking to incorporate animals into my therapy session through animal assisted therapy. I would love the idea of using a cat. Thanks for an awesome article!
Jillian, I’d love to hear from you if you do end up working with a cat.
If anybody needs some info on how to get started in certifying your cat just let me know. It is a real easy process, there are LOAL chapters all over the US. Thanks, for all the sweet things you said about Flash. He is pretty awesome! I’m his proud mommy!
Catzowey Flash! You rock and I know the impurrtance of animal therapy cuz I’ma certified Animal Assisted Therapy cat too! I work with Down Syndrome & Austism folks and the pay is high: all the purrs I can rev up. It’s meowvalous what you do!
Thanks for visiting, Guido! That’s wonderful work you do!
What a great little guy he is, and a wonderful cause as well.
Flash has a great job.
My mom was in a nursing home/ rehab facility after breaking her hip. This facility allowed animal visits and I will never forget how she brightened up when staff and volunteers brought pets in to visit her. It is a wonderful cause and I applaud you!
Http://www.DeborahJulian.etsy.com
I know a few therapy cats, but it still blows my mind that any cat has the temperament for this kind of thing. I’ve just never had a cat that would be relaxed and easy going enough to do it, but I sure am thankful for those that are, because I know it’s such a valuable service.
I always thought Buckley would have made the perfect therapy cat because of her deformed hindleg, and her sunny personality. Unfortunately, she got terribly stressed being in the car for any length of time, so I never pursued it.
Bravo to Flash!