Paws for Thought: Tails of a Therapy Cat
Meow! I am a cat therapist. No, I don’t have the fancy degree and years of experience like my human does—but like other pets in animal-assisted therapy settings, I collaborate with my human to help in the therapy process.
So what is it like to work with a therapy cat? First of all, I’ll introduce myself and welcome you in to the office. Therapy cats are here to make you comfortable; we’re pretty laid back and we like to go with the flow. Therapy cats are used to being handled and being around humans big and small, as well as other animals.
Nervous about going to therapy? Studies show the presence of a therapy cat will lower your anxiety as well as your stress level. Go ahead—pet us. We lower your blood pressure and help your brain release feel-good endorphins like oxytocin. This might help you talk more openly with our humans.
Now, have a seat—I’ve already warmed it up for you.
There are many of us—probably in therapy offices all over the world! Consider us a perk of therapy if we happen to be in the room to accompany you in your journey to better mental health.
My human and I know that working through therapy can be hard. Therapy cats see a lot of people who are in pain, but we can help comfort them in hard times. We’re here for you, just like our human is.
I can help people of all ages learn and grow while working through mental health issues. Humans have proven that cats like me can even help children with learning difficulties. Some kids read to me. I love the stories of faraway places, but the ones about dogs can be a bit ruff!
I can also lend an ear to someone working out language difficulties or someone experiencing problems with social interaction or anxiety. See, in our many lives we develop many talents!
People like visiting my office—excuse me, my human’s office—because both of us can listen to you without judgment. As for the paperwork? We’ll leave that up to the humans.
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