There is a big demand for therapy cats. Being a therapy cat who’s active on social media, that’s really obvious. So many humans are sad they don’t have therapy cats in their area, and they let me know. A lot of them mention that hospitals they’ve stayed in have therapy dogs…but as we all know, it’s not the same as spending time with a kitty. Because if you’re a cat person, you want the kind of warm fuzziness that only comes from felines.
One of the main reasons there aren’t more therapy cats is that there are a lot of myths that still exist about cats. Some of these falsehoods are even believed by people who love us kitties. So let’s look into those first.
The Myths About Therapy Cats
- Cats aren’t suited for therapy pet work
Actually the opposite is true — with the right temperament and proper (and ongoing) training, cats make the perfect therapy animal. They’re smaller, softer and cozier than a dog is. A good therapy cat has an immediate calming effect on those around them.
- Cats are antisocial
The main reason a cat winds up antisocial is their exposure to humans…or lack of it. Cats that are handled from birth, or a very young age and exposed to many different sounds, environments, and human interactions have a great chance at becoming well adjusted, social animals. That was certainly the case with me.As a show quality kitten, I had all this, and other training, like getting used to claw trims and baths. (Both these are needed for therapy cat work.) But a cat doesn’t need a pedigree to get this kind of training. People who foster rescue kittens can do the same thing.
That said, not all cats (or cat breeds) easily lend themselves to therapy work. But the same is true of dogs. (More on that later.)
- Cats can’t be trained for this type of work
Training a cat to be part of a therapy pet team is different from training a dog. In fact, the whole training process with a cat is different from dog training, in both attitude and approach. But it’s not hard. You just learn a cat’s natural predilections and lean into them.For example, some therapy cats are better in a stroller when they are making their rounds. I’d probably jump out of a stroller, but I’m fully leash trained. So I either walk on my leash or my human has me in a sling carrier.
Temperamentally, each therapy cat tends to have their specialties. My old therapy cat pal Josie was way more of a snuggler than me. Her human would hand her over to a patient and she’d go limp. I prefer choosing how I want to interact with people. And I do tricks like ring a bell, so my human often incorporates that into visits, especially children.
- Some facilities are reluctant to allow cats as therapy pets
Sadly, a lot of hospitals and other facilities buy into the above myths, and others. Like they are worried a cat will scratch or bite, or that too many people will have allergies.Therapy cats temperamentally are extremely unlikely to bite or scratch. We trust our handlers (our humans) to protect us, and we’re rarely faced with threatening situations anyway. My claws are trimmed so short that they can’t even be felt unless you handle my paws. And any animal can cause allergies. I’ve been in rooms with people who are allergic to dogs. And if someone says they’re allergic to cats…we just don’t visit with them.
Not All Dogs Are Suited for Therapy Work
That’s right! Actually very few dogs are right for therapy work. Dog owners tend to be more hands on with them than cat people are with their cats. So dogs do have a bit of an advantage with that. But there are lots of reasons a dog couldn’t do therapy work. Here are a few.
- Therapy dogs need a calm, well-behaved temperament
If a dog is anxious, shy, aggressive or excitable, they are not good therapy pet material. Any type of resource guarding disqualifies a dog. They need to be willing to share toys, space, and their handler. There actually aren’t that many dogs that fit this criteria for a good therapy animal.
- Poor training
A dog’s human needs to spend a significant amount of time making sure the dog is well trained. Therapy dogs need to be oblivious to distractions, to sit, stay, heel, know commands like “Leave it,” and stay calm in the most hectic and noisy of environments. Some facilities don’t want dogs to lick their patients, and that takes training too.The therapy pet evaluation for dogs is pretty detailed, and it’s not easy to pass. Cats just need to be harness and leash trained, accept handling by humans, be calm in big noisy rooms — and not be upset by the presence of dogs.
- Some dogs just don’t want to meet strangers
This may surprise people who have had random dogs run up to them, but not all dogs are friendly! Some dogs have no interest in making new friends, or being hugged by strangers. So of course they wouldn’t make good therapy animals.
The Real Reason Why There Aren’t That Many Therapy Cats
It really comes down to their humans! Having a therapy cat is a lot of work. It’s a time and training commitment. The therapy cat’s owner has to be comfortable around hospitals, the elderly (including those with dementia), and children.
It makes me wonder about my human, since she was totally resistant to all this! But she felt that there was such a need for therapy cats that she had to just get over all her dislikes. But not all cat owners can or want to do that. Some are very introverted, and have a hard time interacting with people. Some people have cats as emotional support. The therapy cat relationship is almost the opposite — the cat needs their owner/handler as emotional support on visits.
Here are some other reasons that make therapy cat work hard for some people.
- The emotional toll
People who are highly empathetic might find doing therapy work difficult to handle. It can be emotionally overwhelming to be faced with sick kids, or old people who ask you the same question multiple times. I’ve visited people who we later found out died.Fortunately my human is not an empath. She’s not uncaring (or she wouldn’t be doing therapy pet work), but she can keep from becoming too wrapped up emotionally in situations. So visits aren’t as draining on her as they might be for others.
- All the rules!
Every facility has its own routines and set of rules and you are expected to adhere to them. Since the majority of places therapy pets visit are medical facilities of some sort, these rules are especially important and can’t be bent. One hospital we used to visit made their volunteers take tests regularly. We had to know what all the codes meant, like Code Red (fire or smoke), Code Pink (infant abduction), Code Blue (medical emergency), etc. Plus what to do in a lot of emergencies.People who have a hard time following rules will have a hard time doing therapy work. My human is famously a rule breaker — but that actually puts her at an advantage because it also means she knows what the rules are. And she realizes that therapy cat visits are not the places for rule breaking. Nowhere else is safe, though!
- Worrying too much about the cat
It’s important for a therapy cat’s owner to know how to deal with situations in which their cat may be harmed. But they also have to know how to do it without freaking out. When a toddler grabs my ears or tail, my human is right there to separate little fingers from me, but she does it without becoming upset. When we’re dealing with someone with severe dementia, my human keeps a close eye on them to make sure I’m safe. But she keeps a cool demeanor. If your heart rate increases every time someone else handles your cat, then therapy pet work probably isn’t for you.
- The time commitment
You need to commit to regular visits to facilities. You can’t just show up whenever. And when you are scheduled, there are people relying on you to be there. So there’s both a time commitment, and you have to be consistent. This is also good for your cat, because as you know, cats like routines, and it helps keep up their social skills. But if you can’t commit to keeping regular visits, this sort of volunteer work isn’t for you.
- You’re anti-vax and/or hate needles
Most facilities require that you have an annual flu shot. And to get certified, my human needed to get an MMR and a Tdap vaccine. Actually she already had the latter — she got it after Binga accidentally bit her once. But she needed to have it again after 10 years. Plus she has to have a tuberculosis test every year. If anything is stopping you from getting these, therapy pet work is not for you.
So there you have it — the real reasons why there aren’t that many therapy cats! I wish there were more of us, but it’s not the easiest form of volunteer work. Did any of these reasons surprise you? Let’s discuss it in the comments.
