Felines may have a cool, aloof image to uphold, but many make wonderful therapy animals, says Burlington Humane Society
The Pet Therapy Program had its humble beginnings at the Burlington Humane Society (BHS) in 1984.
Dedicated volunteers and their dogs paraded through the decades, visiting nursing homes and retirement residences throughout Burlington, spreading their special joy to generations of seniors. The therapeutic benefits of dog interactions are well documented and increasingly popular.
Underrepresented and less known is that cats also make wonderful therapy companions.
Cats are often stereotyped as independent and demure, interacting on their own terms, if at all. But that’s all it is: a misrepresented stereotype. Like their canine counterparts, not all cats are created equal. Sociable cats are known to give attention, cuddles and companionship to a wide array of humans.
Cats are, in fact, very intuitive to human body language and understand when people need extra love. They have a calming demeanour, a reassuring “purr” of contentment, which is ideal for relaxation and healing. They provide an emotional comfort that is evident on the faces of seniors whom they visit.
Locally recognized for its therapy dogs, BHS introduced its first therapy cat in 2018. This modest beginning was so well received that word got out and more therapy cats came to join the BHS pet therapy family.
Soon, there were eight cats registered in the program. There was a tabby, a hairless Sphinx; there were ginger, calico and black cats…a cat for every taste, and all were extremely loving and sociable.
Then, four short years later, in the wake of a life-altering pandemic suspension, something really amazing happened: 2022 was a watershed year because for the first time in the history of the BHS Pet Therapy Program, the number of visits by therapy cats outnumbered the number of visits by therapy dogs! In fact 53 per cent
of all therapy pet visits during 2022 featured cats.
Going forward, BHS would like continue this upward trend and invite more dogs and cats to join the pet therapy program. The joy and satisfaction are well worth the effort. Let there be more therapy dogs, but also, let there be more therapy cats!
